Two Students and A Teacher
by Walker'sLampshade
Summary: *extra mission- And they Thought She'd Never Make It* It is not necessary to have read the other story, but it's probably adviceable- Taz, Up and Cal go undercover in an American University. Written for the fun of it, but I promised to upload...
1. First Impressions

**Disclaimer: **Hey guys! I'm back, and I still don't own Taz and Up, but I own everybody else! ;D

_A/N: _IYAAAAAAA! So yeah, this is the first part of the extra mission. It's actually quite a bit longer than I realised. It'll be six chapters, _approximately_. Um…I hope you like it! And a big thank you to _thegirlwhowaited441 _because I'm British and I haven't got a clue about American Education. She was a big help! -lessthanthree-

If you have NOT read 'And they Thought she'd Never Make it' you may want to read this bit: Hi! Just to let y'all know that Cal is Taz and Up's commander, as this is written when Up was still a Lieutenant. That should be the only that may confuse you. Any other questions, feel free to ask! Or just go read the other story.

Song of the chapter: Good Day, One Republic

"_To my friends in New York, I say hello, to my friends in L.A, they don't know, where I've been for the last few years or so, Paris to China to Colorado.  
>Sometimes there's airplanes I can't jump out, sometimes there's bullshit that don't work out.<br>We are god of stories but please tell me what there's to complain about."_

"Jou have got to be kidding me."

There was a deathly silence. Up looked down, leaning back into the chair and putting his hand on his head, looking gradually more nervous. Taz and the Ambassador sat facing each other, their arms on the table, their eyes narrowed.

"For the fifteenth time, Taz. I don't kid people." Taz growled slightly. "Oh, come on," the Ambassador exclaimed. "It's not _that _difficult!"

Taz leaned even further forwards. "Let me just put what jou just said into perspective," she said, seething. She held her hand up slightly, palm facing upwards. "University." She held the other one up in much the same way, her elbows leaning on the table. "Uniform." The Ambassador was having a hard time not chuckle. She spun the first hand around again, glaring at him. "Cal." She spun the other one. "Making friends with a traitor, whose name we do not know…Put all dat together and jou have this _estupido _mission!" she then cried, clapping her hands together for emphasis.

The Ambassador gave her a look, quite clearly still trying not to laugh. "Please, Taz?"

"Please what?" Taz questioned, sitting back and scowling.

"Don't be difficult."

"I'm not being!"

"Then I really don't want to see you being difficult…"

Taz looked at him, a furious look in her eyes. "Shut up." The Ambassador gave her a look, and she scowled deeper.

"Taz," Up said. Her eyes flicked to him and he gave her a reprovingly look. She huffed slightly, looking away from him and crossing her arms. "Of course we'll do it, Ambassador," Up said. Taz huffed again, even louder.

Both men ignored her.

"Good, I'm expecting you at the launch pod tomorrow morning at 8," the Ambassador said. There was a silence. Taz presumed Up nodded. "I'll expect you to have wrapped this mission up within a month. I hope that will be long enough?"

"Of course."

"Good. I'll settle the details with Cal, and I'll see you both in the morning to see you off." There was a soft mumbling sound, and Taz turned her head slightly, curious. Up leaned back away from the Ambassador, who was smirking widely. "Yes, yes. I'm sure Taz will be looking forward to it."  
>"Looking forward to what?" Taz demanded.<p>

Neither man answered her question.

"Come on, Taz," Up said, pulling on her arm and dragging her towards the door.

"Looking forward to _what_?" Taz cried out, turning round in Up's grip to glare at the Ambassador. "_What will I be looking forward to_?"

"Nothing," the Ambassador replied innocently.

"TELL ME!" Taz shrieked, putting her foot in the door and refusing to leave. The Ambassador chuckled. "Tell me!"

"Oh, nothing," the Ambassador said as Up managed to drag Taz away from the door. The door slowly began to close. "Just the makeover and the hair extensions."

There was a loud screech, which the Ambassador presumed came from Taz, and there were multiple sounds and bangs on the door, finally followed by a loud thump and stomps that gradually faded away into the distance.

"Ambassador?" Up's voice sounded through the metal door rather quietly. "I think she just broke my jaw again, and my foot…would you mind calling Cat for me…?"

* * *

><p>Taz and Up walked up to the university gates. Makeovers done, microscopic microphones and hearing devices attached, uniforms on. Up looked to his left. Taz was walking, her face set into a permanent scowl and her hands in her pockets, fists obviously clenched. She had been far from happy about the uniform. She'd been able to deal with the extensions, which were now tied back in a loose plait over her right shoulder, but the uniform had really pushed her to the limit. Plus the fact, she wasn't too happy that Up had barely had anything done to him at all, other than covering up his scar, shaving him clean and dying the grey hairs out. He hadn't had to go through a full facial and hair transformation including eyebrow shaping and moisturiser. Up wasn't really best pleased about the uniform either, he had to admit.<p>

His reasons, however, were far creepier than Taz's were. Taz didn't like having to wear a skirt that barely reached her thigh because she'd be cold. Up didn't like it because he had a hard time keeping his eyes off her legs. Thank god she was wearing tights. The uniform basically consisted of, a white shirt, black skirt, black tights, black blazer, purple and black striped tie, black converse. The Galactic League had wanted her to wear dolly shoes. Taz had refused to wear anything but boots. The Galactic League had eventually given in, as they usually did when Taz was involved.

"This is _estupido_," Taz grumbled. She grabbed the edge of her pleated skirt and pulled it down sharply. Up leant over quickly, stopping her suitcase as it began to topple over in the sharp wind.

"It'll be fine," Up replied, keeping a firm grip on Taz's suitcase until she grabbed it.

"I'm cold," she growled. "Nothing's fine when I'm cold." She leaned towards the gates, peering through and searching for signs of life. "Is someone coming to let us in?" she questioned irritably.

"Yeah."

"Where are they?" she demanded, folding her arms. Her suitcase fell back onto her floor and she gave it a disgusted look. "I'm cold."

"I know."

"Where's Cal?"

"He's gone round the back and in through the staff entrance."

"Can we not go dat way?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because we're not staff."

"But I'm cold." Up gave Taz a look and she huffed, leaning back against her suitcase, which Up had picked up from the floor for her. It fell over again.

A man appeared at the gate. He was a short and fat man with wispy grey hair that stuck up like Homer Simpson's. He smiled at the pair cheerfully as he pressed the button next to the door and the gates opened outwards, nearly sending Taz and Up onto the floor.

"Hello there, you must be two of the agents from the Galactic League," he said hopefully. They both nodded. "Good, you're going by the names Luz Valdez and Matthew Sheppard, correct?"

"Yes, dat's correct," Taz said, sounding frustrating.

"Good. My name is Mr Willis. I am the head-"

"Yes, yes, headmaster of the school. Now can we please come in? _Me esto tirando a la congelacíon_." She didn't wait for an answer and pushed past the man, stalking off across the gravel and towards the building. The man looked at Up who returned an apologetic look.

"Sorry about her," he mumbled, leaning down to pick up Taz's suitcase. "You'll get used to it."

Mr Willis led the pair through the corridors of the main school. It was like a Starship, kind of. Apart from the walls were made of painted yellow plaster and the flooring was covering in a dark green carpet. So really, it wasn't anything like a Starship at all apart from the fact that it had corridors. The bell sounded as they turned their third corner and the nosy students who had been spying them through the windows in the wooden doors came charging out to take a better look. Obviously some didn't really care but most stopped at the sides of the corridors and followed them with their eyes as they walked past, whispering to their friends, naturally.

"People just never change," Taz whispered to Up irritably. He couldn't help but snigger. It was true. They hadn't even done anything yet and already their names, well their fake names, and appearances would be all around the school in under three minutes.

* * *

><p>"Luz, you'll be staying here with two other students," Mr Willis explained, stopping outside on the doors. The door was painted red, but the paint of peeling and the metal number '48' that was nailed to the wood was tilted. Taz sighed, but nodded.<p>

"Where's U-uh-Matthew staying?" Taz asked, correcting herself at the last minute.

"In the boys half, other side of the building."

"Jou're kidding?" Taz asked, staring at Mr Willis with clear irritation.

"No…"

"For dead-god's sake."

"Sorry but it's a rule we created when we figured out half of our students were breaking the 'no people of the opposite gender in your room' rule," the head teacher explained. He didn't seem to realise that he'd just made everything a whole lot worse for him.

"Dat is the most stupid rule I've ever heard of," Taz decided, pushing through the door, a pissed off expression hanging on her features. "Goodbye," she spat out, about the slam the door.

"Wait!" Mr Willis cried. He passed Taz a sheet of paper that she snatched out of his hands angrily.

"What the fuck is dis?" she questioned.

"Language." She glared at him furiously. "It's your timetable."

"Right, thanks. Whatever." She pulled her suitcase through the door and swung it round so it fell into the room behind her.

"See you later," Up called. Taz nodded to him and raised her hand as the door fell shut behind her.

* * *

><p>Taz walked into the room, and straight over to the door that she figured was to be her bedroom. It was the only door that didn't have any posters or pictures on it. Irritated, she swung the suitcase on the bed and opened it pulling out her cloths and setting them on the bed to sort out. She hadn't packed her own suitcase; the Galactic League wouldn't let her. They were probably scared she'd try and sneak a bomb in a something. Shows how much they trusted her. Taz sorted through the cloths and was pleased to see that though Galactic League didn't trust her, they sure knew what cloths she wore.<p>

The majority of the cloths, apart from the spare uniforms and underwear, were made up of Khaki Combat pants, sweats and various colours of tank top. They'd also put in two pairs of black leggings, two long jumpers, her coat and a couple of long cardigans which she was almost positive had originally belonged to Up. Then she found the short dark blue one sleeved dress and she regretted ever allowing the Galactic League to pack her stuff. Where the heck had that come from? She'd never seen that before in her life. Underneath it was a thin black belt, which she assumed was to go around her waist as she wore the dress. She glared at the suitcase. God she hated the League.

And then she found the pictures, lay at the bottom, under a small pile of folding paper and a folded up constellation map. Taz almost smiled. Nope, she loved the League. Dead-god she was being indecisive today. She moved the papers out of the way and pulled the three pictures out, setting them on her side drawers with care. The first picture was one of her and Up. Cat had taken it on Taz's birthday earlier in the year. Taz had been sat next to Up on the sofa and he had his arm around her waist, forcing her to stay still for the picture. Her face had been set into a subtle smile, until he whispered something in her ear, it was something stupid, that he knew was sure to make her grin. She had grinned, just as the picture was taken. Her face was scrunched together in a manic grin and Up was looking at her, laughing slightly. Taz had thought the picture was disgusting, but she had to admit, it had grown on her.

The second picture was of Up and Leon on their own, she'd taken it, on the night of the prom. Both men were dressed in their suits and both looked as dashing as the other, almost…

The last frame the Galactic League had sent was one that was taken on earlier in the year. Up had decided that since everyone was back at the academy, he'd invite them all over to his room for a party. Gred, who had annoyingly enough invited himself to the party, had taken the picture. Taz was sprawled onto the sofa, Up seated next to her and a drink held above her head. She had her mouth open in an amused scream as Jacon had fallen on her. Emilia was sat on the arm of the sofa, her feet disappearing under Jacon and Taz. Dev and Derren were leaning over the back, nearly tipping their drinks over the others. Leon was squished up on the other side of Up and behind Cat who was perched at the front laughing at her brother's attempts to get everyone off him. Taz shook her head, smirking at the look of her and her friends in their drunken state. She remembered the state of Up's apartment the next morning; he'd brought everyone back to be his clean-up crew.

She smiled. The bell rang. Taz didn't move for a couple of minutes, before finally deciding that if she didn't leave now, she was going to get murdered by the teacher of her first lesson. She hastily shoved all her clothes into various drawers, shoving the dress to the very bottom of the bottom drawer, scowling and vowing she would never see the dress again. She then stood the three pictures up on her beside table and threw the constellation map and the folding paper under the bed, checking her timetable and heading out of the door.

* * *

><p>"Hola clase, cómo estamos todos hoy en día?" Señorita Crawford said as she walked into the class, papers in her hands, looking as though they were about to fall all over the floor. "Now today-"<p>

Taz appeared at the door. "Hey Miss, sorry I'm late, I'm new-"

"Español, por favor." Señorita Crawford set the papers down hastily.

Taz was stunned for half a second. "_Uh...Bien...Hola Señorita. Lamento llegar tarde, __Soy Nuevo. Me__ sentí un poco__perdido._"

Señorita Crawford smiled with delight. "_Eso es muy beuno_," she said. _"¿Cuál es su__nombre?"_

"Luz."

"_Hola_, Luz."

"_Hola_."

"Okay, Luz. Where would you like to sit?" Señorita Crawford asked. Taz took a look around the room at the people that were perched in the tiny chairs with the tiny desks that were set in lines across the room. There were a few empty seats dotted around. She shrugged. "How about you sit there?" Señorita Crawford pointed at a seat halfway down the classroom, next to a pale skinned boy with dark messy hair that he kept flicking out his eyesight.

"Okay," Taz replied. She made her way across the room, swinging her bag onto the desk as she slipping into the seat. She pulled her pencilcase out and chucked it on the table. She elbowed the bag off the desk and it dropped to the floor. Señorita walked past and chucked a small green workbook on her desk as she talked about the conversasional excercise they were going to be doing.

"Hey," the boy next to Taz suddenly said. She glanced at him, he flicked his head to the left and his fringe fell back up his forehead.

"Hi," she replied before turning back to the board.

"You the new girl?"

"I just said that a couple of minutes ago."

"I'm rubbish at Spanish, I have no clue what you said," he replied, sounding slightly embarrassed.

"Yes, I'm the new girl."

"And your name is Luz?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that mean light?"

"Do jou always ask so many questions?" Taz demanded, looking back at him. The boy smirked.

"Kind of, yeah," he replied. "I'm Jake."

"_Presioso_," Taz murmured, trying to concentrate on what Señorita Crawford was saying.

"Huh?" Taz looked at Jake, irritated.

"Lovely!" she said loudly and sarcastically. Señorita Crawford stopped talking and looked at Taz.

"Sorry, Luz. Is Mr Bolton pestering you?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"It's fine, _Señorita_," Taz replied. "Sorry." Señorita Crawford scowled slightly but continued to talk. Jake kept trying to grab Taz's attention. He kicked her chair, he chucked tiny peices of screwed up paper at her. He found it incredible that she managed to dodge or catch almost all of them without even looking at him.

"Alright, get into your pairs and just have a little conversation. In Spanish of course. It doesn't matter what the conversation is about, just as long as it's in Spanish. You can use your dictionaries if you don't know what something means. _Ya está listo_," Señorita Crawford called. Jake was at Taz's side in an instant.

"_Hola_, Jake," Taz said in a monotone voice.

"Are you Spanish?" Jake asked.

"_No, soy mexicano_," she answered, leaning against her little desk, her knees set under her chin. Jake looked down before he could stop himself and Taz was very glad that she was wearing shorts. She kicked him in the chest. "_Pervetir_."

"Huh?"

"_Idiota, mirar lo arriba_," she told him. Jake looked at her, totally confused. She gestured to the dictionary on his desk. He picked the dictionary up and flicked through the pages. When he finally found the meaning of the word he blushed bright red.

"Sorry."

"_Español_?" Taz demanded.

Jake looked up for a second, trying to think. "_Lo seinto_?" Taz nearly smiled. Jake grinned at her widely, realising from her expression that he'd got it right. "So, what did you major in?"

"_Educación física y en Español_," Taz replied. "_Qué hay de usted_?" Jake looked terrified. Taz raised an eyebrow at him and he grabbed for his dictionary, looking up what she'd said.

"Oh, I did the same," Jake said, looking up from his dictionary and grinning.

"_Perfecto_," Taz grumbled sarcastically. Jake grinned even wider, even her could tell what that meant. Apparently though, he hadn't detected the sarcasm when it was said in a foreign language.

"So you got P.E this afternoon?"

"_Sí._"

"We've got a new teacher that's just arrived you know. I saw him come into the gates this morning. He's huge. He's like, going to murder us." Taz smirked at this very accurate description of Cal's appearence and personality.

"_Problemente,_" she agreed.

"Okay, class. That's enough of that," Señorita Crawford called. "Please turn to pages 16 to 17 in the books I've put on your desks." Taz spun on her seat and turned away from Jake. Jake went back to his seat and spent the rest of the lesson trying to grab her attention. Taz spent the rest of the lesson ignoring him.

Taz walked out of her Spanish lesson, slinging her bag onto her shoulder roughly. As she turned the corner she was immediatly faced by a very pissed off looking Cal. According to the Galactic League, she was meant to act as though she'd never met him before. But come on, he was doing the infamous glare, complete with the angry stomp. She could hardly stop herself from raising an eyebrow when he caught her eye. Cal took a double take when he saw her, scanning his eyes from the top of her head to her toes, and then back up again. He caught her eye and raised his eyebrows. Taz narrowed her eyes at him.

"Good first lesson, sweetheart?" he whispered mockingly into her ear as he passed, sniggering slightly.

Taz growled, and stuck her foot in his path without anyone noticing. He walked straight into her leg and tripped over slightly, staggering halfway down the corridor to stop himself from falling. He stopped, turned, and glared at her, his expression fuming. She gave him an innocent look before she turned on her heel and walked away, a smirk growing on her lips. This was war.

* * *

><p>How had she ever coped while she was at school? Seriously, how?<p>

At the Academy it hadn't been too bad, she'd only four subjects where she had had to sit still and properly concentrate, and she'd had Up next to her, telling her to listen or take notes or whatever. Now she was on her own, in the most boring English lesson she'd ever experienced. To make it worse, she was sat next to some small kid that was full of a fucking cold and was sniffling every three seconds. Taz was halfway in-between desperatly wanting to sleep and desperatly wanting to punch a wall. When the bell finally rang she was the first person to stand and she immediatly ran towards the door. She pulled the door open harshly and stormed through it, her bag swinging behind her like a dangerous weapon. She stalked down the corridor in a huff, a vicious scowl set on her face. Up saw her from the other side of the corridor, her eyes shining with annoyance and her feet stomping on the ground like she wanted to punish it for just being there. He caught her arm and pulled her towards him.

"Hey there," he said as he dodged the smack she sent to his face. Taz realised who it was and lowered her fist. "You seem happy," Up observed sarcastically. She scowled at him. "C'mon, to lunch," he said, pulling her down the corridor by her wrist.

Taz and Up spent the entire lunch sat in the cafeteria talking about their morning. They didn't even register it was the end of lunch until one of the dinner ladies came over and informed them that the bell signalling the end of lunch had gone. They both thanked her and stood up hurridly.

"What've we got?" Taz asked.

"I don't know, why don't you check your timetable since I'm not the one that carries it anymore?" Up smirked and winked at her as she scowled. He gave in and checked the timetable. "We've got P.E."

They both looked at each other and smirked simultaniously.

* * *

><p>"RIGHT YOU LOT! YOU BETTER BE IN THAT FUCKING SPORTS HALL WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OR I'M GOING TO STRING YOUR NECKS-"<p>

"Shut up, jou nob," Taz muttered as she attempted to push past Cal in the doorway of the girls changing rooms, her brown bag in one arm and her training bag in the other. She shoved at his back with her shoulder, and he simply looked behind him at her. Cal was halfway in-between laughing and glaring at the small hispanic girl.

"Be quiet darlin', or I'll kill ya," he whispered in her ear as he moved out of the way to let her past.

Taz gave him a look. "Against the rules, honey," she reminded him and walked off, sneakily flicking her finger at him as she did. Cal hid his smirk with a scowl as he turned around and walked off into the gym.

Taz was ready within two minutes. She slipped her trainers onto her feet and tied them up swiftly. She stood from the bench, straightening her tank top and beginning to walk towards the door.  
>"Whoa, girlfriend," a girl cried as Taz reached the door. The girl pushed in-between Taz and the door, her arms sprawled across the doorway. "Where are you going, looking like that?" she demanded, her hands on her hips. Taz looked down at her appearence.<p>

"P.E?" she asked, not really understanding the question.

"You're going to go in front of the guys, like that?" she asked again. Taz nodded slowly. "Do you have no shame?"

"What should I be ashamed of?" Taz asked.

"You're wearing zero make-up. You're wearing sweats and a dulled red tank top. Are you insane?" the girl shrieked. "I mean, you're really pretty and everything but you need to at least make an effort!"

Taz raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, but I don't really want to make an effort. I'm going to look sweaty and anging by the end anyway," she said, trying to dodge around the girl.

"You can't let them see you all sweaty. Ew!"

"I don't really care."

"Well you should."

"Jou should be dressed, jou've got like two minutes before that teacher wants jou in there," Taz commented, realising that the girl was still wearing her uniform.

"He was exaggerating."

"No he wasn't."

"Yes he was."

"Trust me," Taz said, pushing past the girl and pushing the door open. "He wasn't." She walked across the little corridor and pushed open the door at the end which led to the hall. Up was already there, talking to Cal.

"Taz, what should he teach?" Up called over. Taz looked at Cal, who was scowling into the air.

"How to do dat brilliant scowl." Up gave her a look. "Sorry. Uh...I don't know...do you have a curriculm to go off?"

"Um...no?" Cal replied, looking confused. "I have been told nothing. Whoever runs this school is a complete idiot who mustn't have a clue whether his staff are actually his staff or whether their Starship Rangers because he quite clearly can't tell between them."

Taz sniggered. "Well, just teach fighting then," she suggesterd.

"See! I told you she'd agree with me!" Up cried, looking back at Cal.

"I can't teach that!"

"Well you can't teach anything else," Up reminded him. "You can either teach fighting or cricket, and they're not going to want to play cricket."

"I like cricket."

"Precisley." Taz smirked. Cal glared at her.

"Fine!" he yelled. "But we can't do it here, they'll kill themselves on this floor."

"Do it on the field," Taz suggested.

"It's raining."

"You would've made the Cadet's do it in the rain."

"But these aren't cadets."

"But that doesn't mean they can't train on a field in the rain." Cal huffed slightly and gave in, nodding his head slightly.

"Fine." He paused. "Where the fuck are they?"

"The boys are spraying themselves with aftershave."

"The girls are putting on make-up and designer tracksuits."

"Oh, so that's why you look glittery and you smell of a perfume shop." They both nodded solemnly. Cal pulled an expression that looked like he'd just been punched in the face. He wandered towards the door and shut it behind him. "RIGHT! IF YOU ARE NOT OUT HERE IN FIVE SECONDS I WILL ACTUALLY COME INTO THOSE CHANGING ROOMS AND DRAG YOU OUT, WHETHER YOU'RE READY OR NOT!" Cal yelled at the top of his voice. Taz and Up could hear him from where they were stood. "I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE, SMELL LIKE OR WEAR WHILE YOU ARE IN MY LESSONS! BUT IF YOU DON'T COME OUT HERE, _NOW_! I _WILL_ DUNK EVERY ONE OF YOU IN PIG CRAP!"

Immediatly the entire class came pouring out into the hall. They all stared at Taz and Up and whispered with each other. Cal rolled his eyes and pushed through them. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Silence fell. "JESUS! I MAY AS WELL BE TEACHING THREE YEAR OLDS!" Cal stormed over to the front of the group. "Right! Now you've all shut up, my name is Mr Cal, I'd like to cover a few rules!" Cal called.

"1. If you refuse to do something I ask you to, or you do not do it up to my standerd. You fail you exams, immediatly." Taz looked at Cal, knowing full well there was no way he could go through with this threat. He wasn't even a real teacher. The affect was impressive anyway, half the class looked ready to faint in terror. "2. You talk while I'm talking, you leave. 3. If you give me any cheek, or act up, you leave. 4. If you're late, you don't come in. 5. You break any of these rules, you leave. 6. You have to leave more than five times, you fail your exams."

Cal paced back and forth slowly, assessing each student. He pulled a face at the exeptionally small or skinny ones. This earned him a glare from Taz. "Got it?" There were general mumbles of 'yes.' "YOU GOT IT?" Louder mumbles of yes. Taz and Up didn't say anything. The reaction wasn't quite what Cal wanted, but he decided it would have to do, they weren't going to get any louder. "Okay, today I'm going to teach you how to fight."

There were various gasps, groans and shrieks.

"It's either that or cricket!" Cal yelled. The whole class immediatly went silent. Cal muttered something that sounded vaguely like 'what's everyone got against cricket,' before he pointed towards the door. "First, take off your shoes, get outside and do one lap of the field."

"Take off our shoes!" one girl shrieked, it was the same girl that had talked to Taz in the changing rooms.  
>"Yes," Cal said, nodding once.<p>

"But we're going outside," one of the boys said. Cal looked at him. "You want us to go outside with no shoes on?"

"Yes...NOW GET OUTSIDE AND START RUNNING!"

* * *

><p>The entire class legged it towards the door where Taz and Up were already taking their shoes off. Taz looked at Up and smirked before jogging out of the door and onto the muddy grass. The rain immediatly drenched her to the bone as she ran around the outer edge of the field. She could feel it bouncing off her head softly as she moved. She sped up slightly as she heard the rest of her class join her on the mud. They were all screaming and yelling in horror. It made her smirk. She reached the first corner and turned sharply, continuing to run at the same pace. Up was about a metre behind her, going slightly faster than her. They turned the second together and Taz sped up, taking over her friend and surging ahead. Up grinned at her competativness and caught up with her, passing her, still speeding up. Taz sprinted after him, catching up with him at the last corner and they sprinted down the last straight, smirking at each other as they continued to get slightly infront of each other. They reached Cal at the same time and slowed to a stop just as the rest of their class turned the last corner. The class reached them a couple of seconds later and stood, figetting and complaining to each other.<p>

"Right!" Cal shouted, they all fell silent. "Get into pairs, preferably of the same size or physical ability!" The class murmured to each other, trying to pair up with the right people. Taz saw that her Spanish friend, Jake, paired himself with who Taz figured was his best friend, a tall brown haired boy with hazel eyes.

"Hey mate," one boy suddenly said, tapping Up on the shoulder. "You're Matt, right?" Up nodded. "How about we pair up? We're about the same height..."

"Sorry man, I'm paired with her," Up replied, gesturing to Taz. The boy raised his eyebrows.  
>"But she's like...small..." Taz glared at him angrily. "We're the same size. If I don't go with you I'll end up with her." He pointed to the girl that had talked to Taz.<p>

"She's only a little bit smaller than you."

"But she's a girl." Taz glared at him again.

"How about I pair with jou?" Taz asked, glaring up at the boy angrily. The boy laughed. Taz's eyes blazed with fury and the boy suddenly seemed slightly less happy.

"Uh..."

"Luz, you're fighting with me," Up said, grabbing her wrist. "Dude, just go fight the girl." The boy nodded nervously and walked off glancing at Taz over his shoulder. Taz scowled at the ground. "Taz, please don't kill anyone," Up whispered to her. She smirked, her anger dissapating.

"I'll try," she promised.

"Good!" Cal yelled. "Now, let's see what you've got!" He waited. Taz and Up had moved into a stance but had stopped as no one else had moved. "Fight!" Cal yelled. Awkward glances, a couple of weak punches. Taz and Up exchanged a look. "DEAD-GOD! FIGHT!" A couple more weak punches. "JESUS CHRIST!" Cal looked around and his eyes fell on Taz and Up. "YOU TWO! HERE! NOW!" Taz and Up walked forwards and stood in front of the class. "SHOW THESE DICK-HEADS HOW TO FIGHT!"

"What?" one of the girls cried. "Luz'll get killed!"

Cal gave the girl a ludicrous look. "What planet are you living on?" he questioned. "Shut up and watch!" He looked at Taz and Up. "GO ON THEN!"

They both smirked simultaniously and got into a stance. Up raised his eyebrows at Taz as they circled each other she gave him another lobsided smirk. Up leapt forwards and threw a punch at Taz's face, she ducked under it and grabbed his arm, twisting it down and kicking him in the stomach. He spun away, pulling her with him and kicked her in the spine. She sweapt at his leg but he stepped over it and punched the side of her head. She dodged it and sent one back. Up gripped her wrist and twisted it. Taz bent in pain and kicked him in the knee, buckling him slightly. They backed away from each other and charged back in, spraying mud everywhere.

Up got Taz on the floor but she bit his hand and then she was on top, punching him in the face. Up gripped her arms and pulled her back to her feet, kneeing her in the stomach as he did. Taz kicked him on the side of the head, spun round and kicked at him again. He caught the kick and again the were wrestling on the floor. Up got Taz in a head lock, until she scraped his face with her claws. Taz had Up in a body lock, until he kicked her in side with the back of his foot. They both stood again, totally covered in mud and still smirking. The fight continued. They continued to get the better of each other. Up would tackle Taz to the floor and Taz would knee him in the face. Taz would punch him in the head and Up would head butt her in the face. As per usual with their fights they ended with no winner. The pair collapsed from their position with Taz's arm twisted round her back and Up's head being nearly pulled off and fell into the mud next to each other, doubling over on their knees and breathing heavily.

They both smirked at each other as Up pulled Taz to her feet.

"Whoa," someone from the class murmured.

"RIGHT!" Cal yelled. "NOW THAT WAS A FIGHT! NOW GO ON! DO IT!"

"I don't want to end up looking like that!" one of the girls cried, looking at Taz in horror. Taz looked down at her mud splattered appearence and shrugged.

"IT'S JUST A BIT OF MUD!" Cal raged.

"No, they're bleeding!" the girl shreiked, pointing to Taz's temple and Up's lip. Taz gave her a weird look and Up laughed.

"JESUS CHRIST! TRUST ME! UNLESS YOU'RE PAIRED WITH ONE OF THESE TWO, YOU AI'NT GOING TO BLEED!" Cal screamed. "NOW FIGHT!" The pairs regrettably turned to each other and began to fight weakly. Cal's face turned to complete rage. "FOR FUCK'S SAKE! GET INTO TWO LINES! NOW- Nuhuh," Cal said, grabbing Taz's arm as she began walking to face Up in the line. "Girl, you go with that idiot." He pointed to the guy that had wanted to be paired with Up. "Other girl, you come 'ere with him." Both guy and other girl looked terrified but slowly did as Cal had instucted. "RIGHT!" he pointed to line facing Taz and Up. "HIT 'EM!" The entire class looked at him, horrified. "FUCKING. HIT. THEM."

"Go on," Taz said to the blonde guy in front of her. "Hit me then."

"You want me to hit you?"

"Yeah."

"I can't."

"HIT THEM!"

"Just do it," Taz said, slapping his arm. "Hit me!"

"I can't!" the guy cried, shaking his head frantically.

Taz glared at him furiously. "Yes jou can! Raise jour hand, and hit me!" The guy shook his head and began to back away, Taz grabbed his wrist. "If jou don't fucking hit I'll fucking hit jou!" she shrieked, digging her nails into his skin. He winced and pulled his hand back.

"I can't," he mumbled, looking into her furious eyes.

"WHY?" she screamed. After much persuasion from Cal the rest of the class had finally started to hit their partner. Granted, not very hard, but they couldn't expect them to be very good yet.

"Because..." the guy trailed off and looked at the floor.

"DEAD-GOD!" Cal screeched, charging over to them. He put his hands on his hips expectantly. "JUST HIT HER! SHE CAN DEAL WITH IT!" Taz looked at Cal and smirked, her eyebrow raised. He glanced at her and narrowed his eyes, which clearly read 'shut up, you little shit.'

"I can't hit her," the guy whimpered, still looking at the floor. Taz kicked him in the shin.

"HIT ME!" she screamed. She kicked him again. "DO IT!"

"No!"

"WHY?"

"You're a..." He trailed off as he saw the look on Taz's face. Her face was on fire.

"WHAT?" Taz screamed, grabbing the guys collar, her eyes blazing centimetres away from his face. "WHAT AM I?" Up had stopped his partner from hitting him and was watching the scene intently.

He already knew what the guy was thinking, he bit his lip. "Don't say it," he muttered under his breath, his hands cluntched together as he shook his head slightly.

"You're a...girl," he whimpered.

"WHAT'S JOUR POINT?" Taz screamed. Most of the pairs had stopped and were watching them. "WHAT ARE JOU SAYING?"

"You a girl!" the guy repeated. "A girl! You're small, and feeble and..." Taz already knew the word that was dangling on the end of the guys tongue, and there was no way she was going to allow him to say it. She screamed in fury and shoved the guy away from her, throwing him backwards so he had to stagger around for a few seconds to keep his balence.

"I AM NOT WEAK!" she screeched. "AND IF JOU DON'T HIT ME IN THREE SECONDS I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL JOU!" She held one finger up, her eyes were blazing. She held another finger up, her teeth were gritted and she was breathing heavily. She held the third finger up, her face was turning purple and Up could almost see the guy dying her eyes. He pushed forwards slightly. Cal's arm stopped him. Taz's body shook with hatred and in less than a second the guy was on the floor, holding his nose in his hand. Taz was halfway towards the door.

* * *

><p>"SHE BROKE MY NOSE!" the guy on the floor screamed, sitting up, blood pouring out of his nose. Cal stormed over to him and picked him up out of the mud by his shirt.<p>

"YOU TALK TO HER LIKE THAT AGAIN AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MUCH MORE THAN A BROKEN NOSE!" he yelled into the guy's face. The guy whimpered and Cal chucked back into the mud. He pointed to Up's partner. "Take him to the ward, or whatever the fuck you have in this school..." Cal turned to Up and saw the warning expression on his face. Cal wasn't supposed to know Taz, never mind be defending her like that. Cal glared. "Being horrible to her is my job," he said like that explained everything. He glanced at the door that Taz had just gone through. "Go sort her out," Cal said.

"Sir, she'll have gone to the changing rooms!" one of the girls cried.

"Right, thanks," Cal said and nodded to Up.

The girl cried out again. "He can't go in! It's the girls changing rooms! What if she's getting changed!"

Cal gave her a weird look. "Shut up," he cried, exsaperated. "U-Ma-Matthew, go."

_A/N: _Hey again. Hope you liked it. Just a note for those of you that asked me to write more of And they thought she'd never make it.

I'm not going to write more, I'm going to write a sequel. I think. I might. I probably will. I'm not going to add to the origional story because then if some people liked the ending and was happy with it then they don't need to read the sequel. _You see?_ And also I'm kind of worried that I'll probably mess the entire story up if I add to it since I have no clue what I'm going to write...

It may take a while, so I can build up ideas and stuff, and also finish this as well. Also, if you have anything you would like to see in the sequel, like marriage or kid or something, please say so :)


	2. The Roommates

**Disclaimer: **Gr. I hate writing these things. I. Still. Don't. Own. Them.

_A/N: _TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY GUIS! BE HAPPY:D

Song of the chapter: Make it Better, Gary Nock

Guys, listen to the First Time We Ever Met, by Change of Pace. I was meant to put it as a song of the chapter in ATTSNMI, but I forgot, and I'm upset. IT'S SUCH A TAZ AND UP SONG. *sighs happily*

"_I don't belong on this planet, but for the moment this is where I am, so no point in wasting this vacation, I wanna see all I can.  
>And if someday I'm flying around it, I'd like to say I left it better than it was the found it, and I hope that when I'm home I'll recognise a couple faces I know."<em>

"Taz?" Up called into the girls changing rooms, pushing the door open and peering in. No-one was around. "Taz?" He looked around at the benches that lined the walls of the room and spotted Taz's things about halfway around. Her underwear was in a little pile on the floor and there was a mud trail leading into the showers. He then realised he could hear the water running.

"Up?" Taz called back. "Give me a sec." She appeared at the entrance of the showers, a large chocolate brown towel wrapped around her and looking much more calm. She tucked the corner of the towel in and raised her arms, tying her (fake) hair back into a high ponytail, bangs falling around her face. She took a look at Up and pulled a face. "Ew. Shower. Now." Up looked down at his mud splattered appearence and smirked.

"I thought you didn't care about appearences?"

"I don't," she agreed. "But I care about hygeine. Jou aren't walking round like dat." She grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him into the showers. The air was warm and damp and Up could barely see anything through the steam. He felt the hot water against his muddy toes as Taz pulled him in further.

"What are you doing?" he cried as she pushed him forwards.

"Jou're having a shower," she decided, shoving him behind the wall that blocked view of people showering from people in the changing rooms. She slammed her fist onto one of the buttons and Up yelled out as the hot water hit him. He tried to escape but Taz pushed him back. He could see the mud from his body and clothing being washed along the floor and felt slightly repulsed.

He pulled his now soaking wet white shirt over his head and chucked it at Taz who screamed as it splashed her. She pulled it away from her face and glanced at Up, who was now smirking at her wearing nothing but his boxers. She tried not to blush and she tried not to be too distracted by the ever so distracting muscles on his chest and arms, but she knew she failed at both.

Taz forced her eyes away from his body, catching the pair of sweats Up chucked to her. She scowled at him and walked off, leaving him to shower in peace. She walked round the corner and towards the sink where she put her clothes. She pulled out her now clean(ish) clothes and dropped them onto the floor. She pulled the plug out and let the dirty water drain out, staring at the water in a desparate attempt to stop images of half naked Up from flooding her mind, before putting the plug back, turning the hot tap on and dumping Up's shirt and sweats in. A pair of boxers came flying round the corner. Taz glared at the wall before dumping them in the sink too.

* * *

><p>Up came out of the shower ten minutes later just as Taz was shrugging her shirt on. Up tried to divert his eyes away from her body and failed miserably.<p>

"Uh...where are my clothes?" he asked, desperate for a reason to look elsewhere.

"In the sink." Up looked to his left where the rusty old sink was sat. He pulled a face.

"You put my clothes in that?" he demanded, walking over. Sure enough, his cloths were in the sink, turning the previously clean water into some kind of rancid poison. "What for?"

"To clean them, dumbass," Taz replied. Up walked back out and was glad to see that Taz had now buttoned up her shirt and was pulling on her shorts over her tights.

"I have no clothes now," he reminded her. Taz glanced at him, something she'd been avoiding doing since he'd walked out. She immediatly regretted it. Not only was he only wearing a towel around his waist, but it was also nearly falling off. Taz stood up and opened a pocket of her training bag, pulling a pair of her own boxers out and chucking them too him.

"There, happy now?" she asked. "I'll get the rest of jour clothes in a minute." Up grinned at her and made his way back into the showers to put the boxers on. After a few seconds Up walked back out, boxers on. He chucked the dirty towel on the floor next to Taz's. Taz finished messing about with her tights and stood up.

"Be back in a second," she said and ran off towards the door, her damp ponytail swinging around behind her.

* * *

><p>Taz walked out of through both sets of doors and across the hallway towards the boys changing rooms. She knocked on the door.<p>

"Anyone in there?" she called.

"Who's there?" someone demanded from the other side of the door. Taz recognised that voice, Jake.

"Hey Jake, it's Luz." There was a silence, no one replied. "Jake, if jou don't reply I'm just going to come in. I need to get something." Still no reply. Taz sighed and pushed the door open, walking in and glancing around. Jake was sat opposite the door, looking at her nervously. "Jesus Christ," she said, seeing the look on his face. "I'm not going to murder jou."

"You punched Dan in the face," Jake stated.

"I know. I think I broke his nose, I heard it crack," Taz replied, pondering for a second. Jake looked horrified.

"You don't care!" he cried. "You broke his nose!" Taz shrugged. "You broke his nose!"

"Dead-god, I know! Jou've said it twice now!" She looked at him for a second. "Why are jou here anyway?" she asked. Jake looked at the floor. "Go on..."

"I got sent out."

"What did jou do?"

"I swore at that Cal guy because he nearly broke my fingers. He told me to run round the field and I refused so he sent me out."

Taz smirked. "My respect for jou has just risen." Jake looked at her in surprise.  
>"Huh?"<p>

"Jou really like dat word don't jou?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind, where are Matt's clothes?" Taz asked. Jake pointed absently towards the far side of the changing room where Up's clothes were strewn over the floor. Taz rolled her eyes. "What an _idiota_," she mumbled as she picked his clothes up and grabbed his bag from the table. She walked back towards the door. "Do you always punch people?" Jake asked just as Taz was about to leave. She turned to him and leaned on the doorframe.

"No," she replied. "Only when they piss me off."

"Do I piss you off?"

"No. But you've got time." Jake looked nervous. "Look, if jou're pissing me off. I'll tell jou. All jou have to do is shut up and I'll calm down. I won't hit jou."

"You hit Dan."

"Yeah, but he's just a full-over _hijos de puta_."

"Huh?"

"Maybe you should start carrying that dictionary round with you- a dick."

Jake laughed. "He is," Jake agreed. "I was actually kind of...glad that hit him. He deserved it." Taz smiled slightly and turned away. "Uh...Luz?" Taz turned around and looked at Jake expectantly. "Are you like, going out with Matt?" he asked nervously.

Taz stared at him for a second. "No."

"Oh," Jake said, his eyes lighting up slightly. "Good, 'cause...Uh...Actually, it doesn't matter."

"...Okay." Taz began to turn around and pushed the door open.

"Are you not going to ask?"

"Ask what?"

"What I was going to say?"

Taz gave him a weird look. "No."

"Why?"

"Jou said it didn't matter," Taz reminded him. Jake chuckled slightly and grinned at her.

"You're the strangest girl I've ever met," he decided. Taz gave him a little smile.

"Is dat a good thing?"

"I think so." Taz gave another little smile and walked out of the door.

* * *

><p>"What the hell took you so long?" Up asked as Taz strolled back through the door.<p>

"Jake was talking to me."

"Jake being the guy from Spanish?" Taz nodded as she chucked him his clothes and began to tie her tie on. "What was he doing in the changing room?"

"Cal sent him for swearing and refusing to run," Taz replied, smirking. Up saw a little twinkle in her eyes as she said it and his heart filled with an emotion he couldn't quite put his finger on. But whatever it was, he didn't like it.

"Oh right," he said mechanically, pulling on his trousers.

* * *

><p>"So, how's your first day been?" the Ambassador asked.<p>

Taz sat on the chair, staring at the video screen with her arms and legs crossed, a glare on her face, breathing deeply and loudly. The Ambassador turned his attention to Up and Cal, who were sat on either side of her, both pointedly sitting on the side of the chair furthest away from Taz.

"I think it's safe to say she's not too happy," Up said slowly, glancing at Taz. She shot him a glare and he looked back to the screen.

"What's happened?" The Ambassador questioned.

"She broke someone's nose," Cal replied immediately. Taz punched him. Cal held his hands up, scowling at her. "Senior. Officer," he said, pronouncing every syllable sharply.

Taz stuck her tongue out at him.

"Really, Taz," the Ambassador scolded. "Be mature." Taz gave the man on the screen a look, and he sighed dramatically. "Any news on the target?"

"What target?" Taz growled, glaring viciously at the floor. "Jou sent us down here with no clue of who the hell we're meant to be looking for."

"Yes, Taz, and you're meant to _find out_," the Ambassador replied. Taz scowled at him. He rolled his eyes and looked at Up.

Up shook his head. "Sorry, sir, no idea yet."

He looked at Cal. "No, sir."

The Ambassador nodded. "Well if you find anything, or have any suspicions, remember to ring in immediately." Cal and Up both nodded. The Ambassador looked at Taz for half a second, saw she was still sulking at him and continued, "see you later, Rangers." The screen went blank.

* * *

><p>Taz pushed open the door to her rooms and shut it gently behind her. A girl she'd never seen before was sitting on the sofa, studying what looked like chemistry. She turned her head at the sound of Taz's entrance.<p>

"Oh hey," she said cheerfully, readjusting her huge black rimmed glasses. She was an average looking girl, the kind of girl that some people would say was pretty but others would say was ugly. She had mousy brown hair that was tied back in a bun, small bushy bits coming out and falling around her face. She had a pale face with a longish nose and light Hazel eyes. "You Luz?"

"Yeah," Taz replied, chucking her bag onto the nearby table. "Who are jou?"

"My name's Kaitlin," the girl replied. Taz nodded slightly.

"Who's the other girl?" Taz asked, noticing that there was another bedroom.

"Her name's Sara," Kaitlin replied.

"Is the scowl on your face because she's a bitch, or is it just a permanent fixture?"

"No, no, she's nice," Kaitlin assured her. "We've just had a bit of a fall out."

"Lovely," Taz said sarcastically. "I'm going to have fun."

Taz got changed immediately. She pulled off the repulsive uniform and replaced it with a pair of black sweats, a dark blue tank top and a striped dark and light blue cardigan. She let her hair down and swept it off her forehead irritably. She'd only had this hair for a day and she was already missing her short hair. Taz pulled her boots back on and wandered off out, map in her hand, waving goodbye to Kaitlin as she did. She walked down the corridor in the direction the map told her was the library.

* * *

><p>Taz was literally in heaven. She'd walked into the library and had immediately decided she had no intention of leaving. Sack the Galactic League, she was staying right here, in this precise place. The library was huge. It was also pretty much beautiful. The bottom floor was huge in itself, covering at least three quarters of the second floor. The entire middle of line of the library was filled with large oak tables surrounded by chairs, the oak bookcases on either towered towards the ceilings like they used to in the old days, when they'd had to use ladders to reach the books at the top.<p>

The walls were painted with intricate golden designs on a red base and the balcony that was the second floor was surrounded by a swirling golden railing. There were three red fabric sofas and four red fabric chairs at the back of the library and six computers line the wall behind the furthest left of the bookcases. Yeah, Taz could stay right here, forever.

"Are you okay love?" the librarian asked. She was a small, chubby woman with a smiley face. Taz could do nothing but nod. The librarian smiled. "You seem slightly dazed."

"Uh...yeah..."

"You like this place?" Taz nodded slowly, looking around her again. "Well, I'm glad someone appreciates it the way I do. What's your name?"

"Luz," Taz mumbled.

"Well, I'm Mrs Veale. Now go look around, if you need anything you can always come and ask me. Okay?" Taz nodded slowly and walked off into the library.

Taz found herself comfortably sat in a red armchair ten minutes later with a good fantasy book in her hands. Her shoes were on the ground next to her and her bare feet were tucked underneath her, keeping warm.

"You know, I didn't see you as the reading type," a voice said, sitting on the chair next to Taz's. She glanced up and saw Jake's grinning face looking at her.

"And why's dat?"

"I thought you'd be the kind of girl to be into…loads of sports and stuff. Or music, I thought you'd be into music," Jake replied. Taz looked down at his chest and saw three guitar music books tucked under his arm and a guitar case at his feet.

"Jou play guitar?" she asked. Jake nodded.

"Do you play anything?" Taz shook her head. "Sing?" She gave him a horrified look. "Haha, okay. Calm down."

"Play jour guitar for me?" Taz asked, closing her book and resting her chin on her hands.

"If you sing."

"I just said I can't sing."

"Yeah but I think you're lying," Jake told her. "I'll play if you sing." Taz shook her head and leaned back in her chair, opening her book again.

"Nope," Taz told him.

Jake smirked. "Please?" Taz ignored him. After a few second Jake leaned down and picked up his guitar. "Okay, I'll play for you."

Taz looked up at him and waited as he pulled his guitar out of its case. It was a pretty guitar, made of light coloured, varnished wood and decorated with a black pattern that swirled across the wood beneath the strings, or on top, depending on which way you held the guitar. Jake pulled the guitar onto his lap and smiled at Taz before beginning to play a slow melody.

His eyes were narrowed with concentration as the melody began to speed up, the beat quickening and the notes becoming sharper and louder. Taz had to admit, he was good. The way the music seemed to swirl around them was amazing. It echoed in her ears as he played and the notes made her heart beat quicken as they did. When he finally finished the last note rung on and Jake slammed his hand onto the strings to stop them echoing. He looked at Taz for some kind of response.

"It was okay," Taz said blankly, a little smile twitching on her features as she attempted to keep a straight face. Jake grinned, noticed the smile.

"Thanks," he replied, putting the guitar back in its case.

"Did I just hear- oh hello Luz my dear," Mrs Veale said, popping her head around the corner of the bookcase. "I thought I heard Jake, I didn't realise you were here too."

"Hey there, Veale," Jake said, grinning at the librarian cheerfully. Mrs Veale rolled her eyes at him.

"Hello Mr Jake, how are you today?"

"I'm okay, how are you?" Jake replied politely.

"I'm fine," Mrs Veale agreed. "I see you've been entertaining Luz here with your musical talents."

"Yeah, she asked me to," Jake replied, grinning at Taz slightly. Mrs Veale gave a little smile.  
>"Well, you're very lucky Miss Luz. Jake doesn't like to play for people," Mrs Veale told Taz.<p>

"Why?" she asked Jake. He shrugged, zipping his guitar back up.

"Just don't." Taz frowned slightly but didn't push the matter any further. Mrs Veale sensed that she'd better go and wandered off round the edge of the bookcase. "Well I better go," Jake said, picking his stuff up.

"Okay, see you," Taz replied, picking her book up. Jake watched her for a second before standing up and beginning to walk off.

"Do you want to come for a drink?" he blurted out, spinning round to look at her. Taz looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Later? Maybe? Uh…"

"Not tonight Jake, it's my first night," Taz replied slowly.

"Oh that's okay…another night?" he sounded really, really hopeful.

"Maybe…I don't know…yeah, maybe…" Taz trailed off, looking down at her book. She felt really bad. Why was she refusing? Jake was a nice guy; it wasn't like it was Gred that was asking her out, Jake was actually nice. But, she just couldn't. It wasn't right. There was something about going out for a drink with him that felt, wrong. She couldn't do that. Jake looked really hurt for a second but he nodded.

"Well, maybe another time," he said, faking a smile. "I'll keep asking." Please don't.

* * *

><p>"Hey, are you Matthew?" a voice asked as Up walked into his room after dinner. He looked to the sofa, he'd been wondering when he'd meet his roommates, and he was pleasantly surprised to see two cheerful looking guys sat watching Top Gear. Up nodded slightly.<p>

"I'm Andi," the sandy haired one announced.

"I'm Sam," the other one announced. He was dark haired with big brown eyes like chocolate.

"Cool," Up replied.

"So," Sam said. "Because it's your first day and stuff you can have whatever you want from the kitchen until you have time to buy your own drinks or whatever. Okay?" Up nodded, smiling widely.  
>"Yeah, thanks," he replied.<p>

"You're welcome," Andi said. "Oh, and we've invited three friends over later for a drink, is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Do you want to join us?" Sam asked.

Up thought for a minute before nodding. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

The three other friends were called Edd, Tony and, much to Up's surprise and slight annoyance, Taz's Spanish friend Jake. Tony was a tall, lanky dude with long blonde dreadlocks and Edd was short and stubby with cropped ginger hair.

"Oh my god," Sam said. "Have you seen that new girl?" Up raised an eyebrow, lying back in the sofa and subconsciously wondering if they actually knew he was there, or did they just think he didn't know Taz? He glanced over at Jake and noticed that he had done almost the same that he had.

"Black hair?" Edd asked. Sam nodded. "Dark skin?" Another nod. "Dead-god she's hot." Up bit the side of his glass to stop himself laughing. Jake was looking down.

"I know," Sam agreed.

"Is the one you were telling has the great body?" Tony asked. Sam nodded, wiggling his eyebrows. Up bit the edge of his glass even harder. He was about halfway in between getting really, really angry and being really, really amused. He wasn't really sure why he was getting angry but all that really mattered was that he was controlling it with thoughts of what Taz would do if she found out they were talking about her like this. Now he just had to control his laughter. "Nice?"

"Amazing," Sam agreed. Jake had his hand on his head and was hiding his face.

"Legs?" Andi asked, leaning forwards to join in the conversation. Edd took a loud and sharp intake of breath.

"If only she didn't wear tights," he mumbled and then mouthed 'whoa.' Up let out a breath, it came out slightly ragged and giggly sounding but luckily no one noticed.

"Curves?" Sam outlined an hourglass in the air. "Whoa."

"Would you?" Tony asked.

"I think anyone would," Sam replied.

"I definitely would," Edd added, winking. This all got the better of Up and he let out a snort of laughter. All five guys looked at him, Jake still hiding his face slightly, obviously not wanting to get into this conversation.

"What's funny?" Andi asked, frowning slightly. Up held his hand up as he tried to calm himself down from a fit of chuckles.

"Seriously, I don't get it," Tony added. Up took a deep breath and composed himself.

"It's just…you're talking about Luz, and if she knew she'd blool kee ya…" Up dissolved into laughter again.

"Huh?"

"She. Would. Murder. You," Up choked out between chuckles. The four boys exchanged looks.

"Why do you think that?" Sam asked.

Up steadied his breath again. "She's my best friend," he said. The boy's eyes widened. "I thought you'd just forgotten I was here. I thought you knew she was my best friend." They all shook their heads. "Oh well, yeah. She'd kill you."

"You're exaggerating," Tony said.

"Okay, I'll be totally truthful now," Up said, sitting up straight. "Uh…first she'll glare at you, and it's a scary glare. Like a 'oh my dead-god I want to curl up and cry' kind of glare. Then she'll scream at you. And then will honestly want to go and hide in a corner, and commit suicide. Then she'll break your bones. Which ones depends on what you do. She'll punch you, and break either your jaw or your nose. But if you block it she'll break your arm. Then, finally, she will send you halfway into infertility." Up grinned at them pleasantly. They all stared at him. Jake was smirking.

"You're still exaggerating," Tony decided.

"I'm not," Up said seriously. "I've seen this happen to at least three guys."

"Seriously?" Andi questioned.

Up nodded. "Have you not heard what happened to that guy? Uh…Dan, I think."

"He got to taken the hospital for something," Edd said. "Right?"

"Yeah, because Luz broke his nose," Jake piped up. Everyone looked at him and he sat back further into the chair.

Sam looked back at Up. "Are you and her going out?" he asked.

"No."

"So I can go and ask her out?" Jake spluttered on his drink slightly and Up's eyes narrowed without him meaning them too. Sam suddenly looked nervous.

"If you want a broken nose, sure," he said.

* * *

><p>It was about an hour later that Tony, Jake and Edd had left. After that conversation they'd quickly left the topic of Taz and moved on. All five guys had been horrified by Up's lack of knowledge on American Football, and made it there personal goal to teach him. Well, Tony, Sam and Andi did anyway. Edd and Jake just spent their time nodding and pretending that they knew what was going on. They clearly knew as much about it as Up did. As the other three left Sam and Andi announced that they were going to bed, dragging themselves off the sofa and stretching.<p>

"What are you going to do?" Andi asked. Up looked at him and held up the DVD of Karate Kid that he had earlier found in his suitcase and had set on the side for later.

"I'm going to watch a film before I go to bed," he said. Andi nodded.

"Okay, just keep it down, okay?"

"Okay." Andi walked into his rooming, yawning loudly. Up slipped the DVD into the slot and pressed play when the title sequence came on. He chucked the remote onto the sofa next to him and leaned against the arm to watch the movie. He'd only got five minutes into the movie when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" he called quietly.

"Guess?" Taz. He went and opened the door immediately. Taz came storming in and threw herself onto the sofa, curling into a ball where Up had just been sat.

"You aren't allowed here," Up reminded her, closing the door.

"I'm cold. I'm tired. Kaitlin and Sara are yelling at each other," Taz explained, letting Up move her so that he could fit onto the sofa. "Are jou watching karate kid?"

"Well I was, until you came in and sat on the remote," Up said. "Your fat butt pressed the pause button." Taz flicked him on the earlobe and grabbed the remote from under her leg. She sat up and pressed play before repositioning herself so that she was lying against Up's chest, her ear pressed against his heart. Up's arms rested on her waist and they continued to watch the movie.

Up looked down at the end of the movie, rubbing his tired eyes. Taz was asleep on him, her hair splayed over his chest and her hands clenched in little fists under her chin. He smiled slightly and picked her up gently, carrying her into his room like he'd done so many times before. Except this time, the bed was a single bed. Taz woke up as Up laid her down. Her eyes flickered open and looked at him sleepily, she looked adorably innocent when she'd just woken up.

"I'm cold," she mumbled. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him forwards until he slipped under the think blanket with her. She automatically turned onto her side and shuffled backwards until her back was against the wall and Up could actually fit into the bed. He settled himself down and immediately she was on him. Taz lay her head and arms against his chest and put her leg over his.

"Happy now?" he murmured in her ear. She glared at him and shook her head.

"Still cold." She poked ankle with her toe. The cold shot up his leg like ice.

He gasped. "Jesus Taz!" Up gasped. "Don't you dare do that again." She smirked and ran her toes down his leg. Up shivered violently and glared at her grinning face. Not for long though. He couldn't glare at somebody with a smile like that. "Give me your feet," he instructed. Taz shuffled slightly and her right foot joined her left one. Up caught both of her feet in his warm ones and held them there until they warmed up. Taz smiled up at him and pulled her feet away, getting comfy again.

"Happy now," she murmured and drifted to sleep against Up's chest.

_A/N: _I got far too much amusement from writing the guys conversation. I'm nearly dying. I don't even think it's that funny, it was just funny for me to write…


	3. Drama Lessons

**Disclaimer: **Alas, I don't own Taz and Up.

_A/N: _For my darling thegirlwhowaited411, whose name I have _not _mistyped this time. She suggested that I do a drama lesson with Taz and Up, so I did, and it went a little strange. Ah well.

Song of the chapter: Stereo Skyline- A little more us

"_A little more rock, a little less roll. A little more new, a little less old.  
>A little bit of faith, a little bit a trust. A little bit of never giving up."<em>

Taz woke up to find that Up had already left. She snuggled into his bed for a second, attempting to wake herself up. Then she rolled clumsily out of the covers and stumbled towards the door, slightly disorientated. She pushed open the door and wandered out, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"You okay?" Up called from the little table where he was eating cheerios. Taz's bleary eyes focused on him and she nodded silently before wandering over to the kitchen area. She pulled the Nescafe coffee jar away from the rest and pulled the top off.

"Mug?" she murmured, looking around blankly. Up smirked and stood up, collecting his mug from the shelf. "Where's mine?" she asked.

"They didn't pack it." Taz scowled at the mug like it was its fault and then dropped coffee into it angrily. Up shook his head slightly and walked back to his cheerios. Taz finished making her coffee and sank into the chair next to him, sipping out of the mug contently as she crossed her legs. There was silence as the door to Sam's bedroom swung open. Sam came out, wearing only his boxers. Taz barely even responded to his lack of clothing since Up was next to her in much the same attire. Sam's eyes focused slowly and he saw Taz and his jaw nearly hit the floor.  
>"WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?" he yelled. Taz nearly fell off her chair. She glared angrily at Sam.<p>

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" she shouted, putting her head on her hand and yawning. "It's too early to yell."

"WHAT? WHAT THE HELL? YOU SAID- WHAT THE- SHE'S NOT ALLOWED- WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?" Sam raged around like a madman, his hands in his hair and his eyes wide.  
>"WHAT THE HELL ARE JOU BLABBERING ABOUT?" Taz screamed, slamming her mug onto the table and splashing hot coffee onto her hand. "<em>Meirda<em>," she cursed, flicking her hand around slightly.

"YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED IN HERE!"

"So?"

"YOU'LL GET EXPELLED!" Taz shrugged slightly and drank some more coffee. Up continued to eat his cheerios. "MATT! I THOUGHT YOU SAID- WHY IS SHE EVEN HERE?" Sam screeched.

"She was cold," Up explained. "And her roommates were arguing."

"SO YOU JUST INVITE HER TO SLEEP WITH YOU!" Sam yelled. "I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T DATING!" Taz lost her temper. She jumped out of her seat and charged round the side of the table and towards Sam.

"SHUT. THE FUCK. UP!" she screeched in his face. "I AM NOT DATING MATT, I AM HIS FRIEND. I SLEEP HIS BED SOMETIMES! GET USED TO IT!"

"YOU AREN'T ALLOWED IN HERE!"

"I. DON'T. GIVE. A. SHIT!"

"Luz, calm down," Up said, grabbing Taz by the wrist and pulling her back. Andi came out of his bedroom then.  
>"Hey Sam, hey Matt. Oh, you're Luz, right?" he said cheerfully, running his head through his hair.<p>

"HOW CAN BE SO CALM ABOUT THIS!" Sam screamed.

Andi backed away slightly. "C'mon dude. This is only like you and Alex."  
>"NO! ALEX DIDN'T STAY THE WHOLE NIGHT! AND WE WERE ACTUALLY DATING!"<p>

"Jesus Sam, calm down. It's no big deal."

"IT IS A BIG DE-"

"OH FOR DEAD-GOD'S SAKE!" Up yelled. "JUST STOP YELLING!" Sam went silent. "Thank you. Now, like Andi said, this is no big deal. It's not even like anything happened, or that it would even be illegal if it did! I don't care if it's against the rules. We just won't get caught. And if we do, we get expelled, you don't. Okay, so just calm, the hell, down." Sam glared slightly and walked back into his bedroom in a huff.

"Okay," Taz mumbled and wandered back over to her coffee.

* * *

><p>"Matt, Matt, Matt!" Edd called, charging down the corridor towards Taz and Up. Taz looked at Up, a questioning expression on her face as she glanced at the guy who was running towards them as fast as his legs would carry him.<p>

At the sight of Taz he stopped dead around a metre away.

"Hey, Edd," Up said.

"Uh, hey…I was just going to ask about- are you Luz?"

Taz raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the sudden change in subject. "Yeah, hey."

"I'm Edd," he gushed, turning bright red and holding his hand out nervously. Taz shook his hand cautiously. Edd stared at her.

"You were asking me something?" Up asked, sounding annoyed. Edd tore his eyes away from Taz and looked back to Up, nodding his head slightly.

"Yeah, I was just going to ask whether I could copy your Math homework?" Edd asked.

Up raised an eyebrow. "You haven't done it?"

"I didn't have time," Edd said hastily. He didn't go into any more detail and Up left it there, handing over his Math homework without complaint. "Thanks, I'll give it you back in Drama." He glanced once at Taz, obviously debating whether to talk to her again, before turning and walking off down the corridor.

* * *

><p>"Hey class, how's it going?" The tall blonde teacher sauntered into the room, wearing a knee length floral dress with brown leather boots. Taz looked up from where she was sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. The teacher looked around, smiling at the students that responded wishing her good morning, and asking how she was. "Where are the new students?" she eventually asked.<p>

Up held his hand in the air. "Over here," he called.

The teacher turned round, spotting the unfamiliar faces immediately. "Oh, hey! Matthew and Luz, right?" They both nodded. She came over, holding a hand out to each of them. They dragged themselves to their feet to shake her hand. "Miss Riding," she said, as a way of introduction.

She turned away almost immediately, bounding over to her little table in the corner and picking up a wad of sheets that she'd previously chucked there.

"Hey, Miss, what are we doing today?" Jake asked, strolling in and flinging his bag across the open room so it slid across the floor and stopped at the other wall.

Miss Riding looked over at Jake, raising her eyebrow at him. He gave her an innocent look. "Jake, since when do we chuck our bags across the room?"

"Since, now?"

"Go pick it up, please."

Jake groaned. "But-"

"I'll tell you what we're doing."

Jake huffed slightly. "Fine." He walked over to his bag, dragging his heels behind him dismally as he went.

Miss Riding rolled her eyes at his back. "Okay," she said. "Since this is the first lesson back, I thought we could do something a bit different." Jake had come back by this point, walking over to Taz and dropping his bag down before taking a seat next to her. "I've got a bunch of monologues here," Miss continued, flipping the sheets of paper. "And I was thinking that each one of you could take one, and perform one for us at the end of the class. Does that sound okay? It's only a bit of fun, nothing serious."

The class murmured their agreements and Miss grinned, beginning to hand the monologue sheets out to every person, taking time with each person to pick the right monologue.

* * *

><p>"Um, Miss?" Taz asked, staring at the piece of paper in her hand with a look of terror on her face.<p>

"Yes?" Miss Riding asked, turning and giving Taz a very convincing innocent smile.

"Jou want me to perform _dis_?" Taz asked, staring at her with trepidation.

Miss Riding let out a little giggle. "Yes, of course. Is there a problem?"

"It's about a…I'm not a…"

"I know you're not, it's a character, silly." Miss Riding gave her yet another dazzling smile and turned away to give Jake his monologue sheet.

"What'd you get?" Up asked, leaning over to take a peek at Taz's sheet.

Taz shot back, immediately folded it over, sliding forwards and turning so that he couldn't read it over her shoulder as her eyes quickly scanned the writing. "Fuck," she murmured. "Dis has got to be a joke."

"What?" Up cried, kneeling up and attempting to crawl over and see Taz's sheet. She kicked him in the gut, backing away even more.

"I am _not _fucking performing this."

"What is it?" Up demanded, a grin growing on his lips. Taz looked up at him and glared ferociously. He chuckled loudly.

"Miss," Taz whined. Miss Riding turned and gave Taz a questioning look. "Jou can't make me read dis!"

"Why ever not?"

"Because it's…you know…about a…_you know_!"

Miss Riding smirked widely. "I'm sorry, Luz, I have no idea what you are talking about."

Taz gave her a vicious glare. _A prostitute's monologue. _Of course she fucking knew what Taz was talking.

"Oh my dead god!" Jake yelled, snatching the sheet from Taz's hands before she had time to respond. Taz was on her feet in an instant, running towards Jake as he rushed off to the other side of the room, his face a picture of amusement as he read through the monologue. He looked up at Taz, hiding the sheet behind his back, his face pulled into a gape of sheer laughter on his face.

Taz threw herself at him, her arms flailing as she attempted to grab the sheet out of his hands. Jake shrieked like a girl, doubling over and hugging the sheet to his chest so that Taz couldn't get to it. Taz growled angrily before throwing her whole body weight at him and tackling him to the floor. Jake really didn't seem phased by this, rolling over onto his back and opening his mouth wide, his tongue sticking out manically.

"You tell Miss you're not," he giggled loudly. "But now you're practically lying on top of me on the floor." He cackled crazily and Taz screeched, thumping him in the chest and knocking all the wind out of him.

He coughed, rolling himself up into a ball. Taz snatched the sheet from his hand and stood up, kicking him on the back for good measure. She turned and stomped over to her bag, her expression furious. She glanced at Miss Riding as she walked, who just gave her an amused look.

"I don't know what jou're smirking at," Taz growled. Taz glared at her and slumped down onto the floor in the corner.

"What's your monologue on?" Up asked, shuffling over to her. She hid the paper from sight and glared at Up angrily.

"Go away," she growled.

Up gave her a little smirk. "Come on," he said. "Tell me. It can't be that bad."

"It is," Jake called from across the room, laughing breathily as he rolled around, still holding his stomach.

Taz looked like she was about to get up and go and attack Jake again. Up grabbed her arms. "If jou freaking dare, Jake, I will personally ensure jour death!" Taz screamed, which only resulted in Jake laughing louder.

"You're going to have to perform it anyway!" Jake laughed in response.

Taz huffed. "I'm not performing dis _meirda_!"

"Huh?"

"Oh, fuck off!"

"Jake, what's her monologue about?"

"IF JOU FUCKING DARE-" Up jumped forwards and shoved his hand over Taz's mouth, silencing her. She screamed and attacked him with her fists.

"JAKE, TELL ME WHAT IT'S ABOU-" Taz bit Up's hand, making him yelp slightly and release her.

"DON'T JOU DARE TELL HIM WHAT IT-"

"TELL ME W-" Up intercepted, pushing Taz away before she could finish her sentence.

Taz grabbed Up's head. "DON'T TELL HI-"

"IT'S THE MONOLOGUE OF A PRAHSTITOOTE- ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The last word had come out barely understandable as Taz jumped on Jake and grabbed his hair, yanking it back with all her force so that he ended up screaming in pain. His scream sounded freakishly female.

* * *

><p>Up sat for a second, staring at Taz and Jake as Jake attempted to escape from Taz's iron grip, thrashing around and kicking his legs widely. The entire class was laughing, pointing and giggling and asking Miss what the monologue said. Then Up burst into laughter, leaning back against the wall, his whole body racking back and forth with uncontrollable guffaws.<p>

"Oh my dead god," Up wailed, rolling over onto his side and holding his stomach.

"SHUT UP!" Taz screamed, attacking him with her fists viciously.

Up sat up, grabbing at the sheet lamely. "Let me see," he breathed, still chuckling.

Taz sulked for a second before handing the piece of paper over.

Up laughed so much he was nearly crying. Taz glared at him, her arms folded and her legs crossed. Up gestured to the piece of paper, looking at Taz with a manic expression on his face, seemingly unable to breathe properly.

"It say…it say…phahahahahaha!"

"_What_?" Taz demanded, grabbing the sheet. "What does it say?"

Up lifted a hand and gestured vaguely to part of the monologue.

_Daddy taught me so well I can contract and swell.  
>Around any pipe with all holes, I do it so well.<em>

"Dat is fucking disgusting," Taz growled, throwing the sheet onto the floor with repulsion.

"And you have to perform it," Up cried, throwing himself backwards so he was lying on the floor. He clapped loudly, his legs kicking into the air as he laughed hysterically.

"I'm not!" Taz screeched. "I'm performing it!"

"Yes you are," Jake called. He pointed at Taz with a mocking expression on his face. "You have to!"

"I WON'T! I refuse!" Taz screamed.

By this point Up had grabbed the sheet off Taz again and had proceeded to pass it to Edd and Andi, who were now in fits of laughter, rolling around on the floor in much a similar way that Jake and Up had.

"Do it, please. Just perform it," Andi begged, wiping away the tears that had sprung to his eyes from laughing so much.

"NO!"

"Aw, come on!" Edd pleaded. "Don't be a spoilsport!"

"Yeah, Taz!" Up agreed.

Taz turned to Up with a furious expression. "What's yours?" she demanded.

"Uh…" Taz raised an eyebrow at him. "The monologue of…an onion."

Everyone burst into floods of laughter again, and even Taz had a hard time keeping the glare up, finally setting for a grumpy expression with lips pressed so firmly together that it was very apparent she was hiding a smirk. She snatched up the sheet from where it lay next to him, giving him a tiny smirk before beginning to read.

_Hunt all you want. Beneath each skin of mine  
>Lies another skin: I am pure onion-pure union<br>Of outside and in, surface and secret core.  
>Look at you, chopping and weeping. Idiot.<em>

Taz couldn't contain the giggle. "And are jou going to perform dat?" Taz questioned, tilting her head slightly.

Up stared at her for a second, blinking in quite an unnatural manner. "Uh…ugh…um…yeah?"

Taz gave him a look, and turned round to face Miss Riding. "Miss, are jou seriously doing to make us perform these?" she asked.

Miss Riding raised an eyebrow. "Of course I am. What else do you expect to have to do in a drama lesson?"

"I don't know!" Taz cried. "Like _Shakespeare _or something! He's famous for dis _meirda_, right?"

"Fine," Miss Riding said, standing up from where she had been sat beside one of the other students. "We'll do _Shakespeare's _version of this '_meirda'_." She gave Taz a little smile, and Taz suddenly wondered whether she'd just made a _really _big mistake. "Right then, I'd like you to get into threes." The class stared at their teacher with trepidation. "Come on, threes, now. We're going to do a bit of Romeo and Juliet."

"I'm going with Luz!" Edd yelled, attempting to get past Up and Andi. Andi was giving him a weird look, as if to say 'subtle, dude,' whereas Up was just blocking his passage completely, refusing to allow him past.

"Sorry, Eddyboy," Jake said, sliding across the floor and steering himself to the spot on the other side of Taz. "The slots are already filled by me and Matt."

Neither Edd nor Up looked particularly pleased with this outcome. Edd was glaring at Jake and Up with ferocity that Taz hadn't thought the small ginger could produce, and Up was just sulking while silently scowling at the floor.

"Okay. I want you to perform a scene where 1 of you plays Romeo, one of you plays Juliet, and one of you plays Paris-" Immediately people were muttering to their friends about who they wanted to play and why they deserved to play them more than anyone else. "-Shush! It must be a scene in which Paris finds out about Romeo and Juliet and the conversation that is then held between the three of them." At this point Miss Riding gave Taz a very pointed look, before allowing her gaze to drift to Jake and Up.

"This is going to go terribly," Up whispered in Taz's ear. She elbowed him, not wanting to admit that she had been wrong.

"It's going to be _fine_," Taz protested. "It's better than those god damn monologues."

"I'm not so sure," Up responded warily. Taz shot him a glare

* * *

><p>"So, who's going to play who?" Jake asked, leaning round, the grin on his expression unwavering.<p>

Taz and Up stared at him without blinking.

"I was thinking I could totally play Romeo," he continued, giving Taz a wink.

Taz blinked. "And Matt's playing Juliet."

"_What_?"

"Wai- what?"

"And I'll play Paris," Taz concluding, standing up with a rather pleased expression on her face.

Jake looked at Up for a second, his expression clearly reading: 'Help!' But Up wasn't in a particular position to help, and so Jake instead turned to give Edd and Andi the same expression. Edd glared at him and Andi just gave him an amused look before shrugged and turning around to face his group.

Up had already got up and was heading over to Taz, and reluctantly Jake dragged himself to his feet and joined Taz in the middle of the room, wondering as he walked what on earth he'd just gotten himself into.

Taz waited until both guys were in front of her. She gave them a look that was half-bored, half-expectant. "Well, go on, make out or something." She folded her arms.

"_What_?" Jake squeaked.

"I have to find jou out, jou know, so jou've got to kissing or something."

The two guys looked at each other. "Do you reckon she's got a fetish for guys making out?" Jake asked. Taz gaped at him in hatred.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Up admitted. Taz threw her shoe at him. Jake laughed, until her other shoe whacked him in the side of the head.

"You could have knocked me out!" Jake cried, throwing the shoe back at Taz sulkily.

"Yeah, the plan didn't really work did it," Taz growled. She flopped down onto the floor. She looked up at the two boys. "Fine, just hold hands or something." Jake pulled a face, looking nervously around the room. He had nothing against this kind of thing, but the rumours would travel around this school faster than wildfire. "Oh, come on!" Taz cried. "Jou're only holding hands!"

Up and Jake looked at each other and Up shrugged slightly, clasping Jake's hand before he even had a chance to protest. They both then looked at Taz, waiting for some kind of instruction.

"Okay…uh…ballroom dance or something."

"I can't dance," Jake said immediately.

"I'll teach you," Up replied, turning to face Jake.

Jake jerked back slightly, his expression horrified. "Dude, what are you doing?"

"Dude, it's only dancing calm down."

"Dude, do have any idea how fast rumours go round this school?"

"Dude, do have any idea how little I give a shit? Now come on, I'm teaching you to ballroom dance."

"No, you're not," Jake decided. Up had already managed to get them both into suitable dancing stances.

"Yes, I am. Now you've got to- are you listening? This is hard."

"No."

"Well listen, or you'll mess up."

* * *

><p>Taz sat back, watching as Up pulled the seriously pissed off looking Jake around the room, laughing at his expression and attempting to make him take the dance seriously by poking him in the eye. Miss Riding came up behind Taz, tapping her on the shoulder and smirking down at her. She gestured to Jake and Up, who were waltzing around the room under Up's instruction. "They'd make quite a cute couple, don't you think?"<p>

The entire class was howling with laughter, doubled over with their hands on the stomachs, unable to control themselves. Jake yelped loudly and both Taz and Miss Riding looked over to see that Jake was flailing around madly and Up was just stood there, his head jerked back in a confused fashion and his hands held up.

"What the _fuck _are you doing?" Up asked, blinking once.

Jake stopped flailing and gestured wildly to Miss Riding, his eyes wide. "Did you not just hear what she said?" he demanded.

"Of course I heard her! She was joking!"

"But-"

"Oh, _shut up_!" Up yelled, rolling his eyes.

"Are we done dancing?" Jake asked.

"Did we finish the dance?"

"No."

"Oh look, you just answered your own question."

Jake near enough slapped himself in the face.

Taz threw her head back, laughing loudly as Up attempted to grab Jake's hand and ended up only grabbing air as Jake flew backwards and fell over on the floor, cursing like a madman. She looked over at Edd and Andi. Andi caught her eye and frowned in Jake's direction, still laughing. Taz chuckled again and shrugged her shoulders.

She looked up at Miss Riding who was laughing and shaking her head at Jake and Up's argument. "Jou're not actually going to make us perform this are jou?" Taz asked.

Miss Riding scoffed. "Am I hell."

* * *

><p>Taz slumped down in her seat, watching Senorita Crawford wrote the date of the test on the board. She cursed, in Spanish. Senorita Crawford turned round quickly and sent Taz one of the sharpest looks Taz had ever seen. The teacher turned back to the board as fast as she'd turned in the first place, and Taz pulled a face behind her back before she could stop herself.<p>

"You really are immature at times," Jake commented beside her. Taz swiftly sent her foot flying out. It connected with Jake's shin with a painful sounding crack. Jake yelped loudly and Senorita turned and glared at them both again.

Taz slumped back in her seat, looking pissed off.

"What's up?" Jake asked.

"I'm tired."

"We're students, it's part of the job."

"Being a student sucks."

"Well, yeah, tell me about it," Jake murmured, sighing.

"I'm also bored, and cold," Taz stated.

"Cold?"

"This is a very cold place," Taz clarified. "I hate it."

"Okay…?" Jake said slowly. "Well you get used to it."

"I've been here a week. I'm not used to it."

"It takes longer than a week."

"Well I don't _want _it to!" Taz protested, scowling at him.

"You don't really have a choice…"

"Shut up." Taz turned her back on Jake and picked up her pen, noting the date of the Spanish test down in the corner of her notebook.

"Hey, Luz. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Shut up."

* * *

><p>The pair spent the rest of the lesson in silence. Talking to each other only when Senorita Crawford gave them a speaking task, and ignoring each other for the rest of the time. When the bell finally rang Taz was out of her seat in under a second, storming towards the door with an expression on her face that made all the other students move out of her way so that she could pass. She walked out into the corridor, forcefully slamming the door back once she had walked out, probably causing it to hit the next unlucky student in the face. Taz didn't much care.<p>

Taz looked down the corridor, stopping dead at the sight of Edd coming up the corridor towards her. She cursed under her breath.

"Hey, Edd," she murmured, without much conviction. She was expecting the usual, extreme response with a loud, excitable explanation of his most recent chemistry project and a scarily close proximity range that would make Taz step back and probably step on the same unlucky student's toes who she had recently slammed the door on.

Edd didn't seem to see her for a second, taking a double take as he walked past. "Oh, hey Luz," he mutter, looking around, distracted. "Um…I'll talk to you later, okay? I just have to, uh…see you later."

"Uh, see you later…?"

Edd hurried off into the crowds, leaving Taz will a rather puzzled expression on her face. Her eyebrows were raised and her mouth open slightly in shock.

"Don't worry about him," Jake said from behind her. "He does that a lot."

"He does?"

"Yeah, he's doing extra subjects or…something like that."

Taz looked up automatically, her eyes scanning Jake with curiosity. "Why's he doing more subjects?"

"I don't know," Jake replied.

"What subjects is he doing?" Taz pressed.

"I don't know that either," Jake admitted, frowning slightly. "He just barely ever has any free time. He's always at some class or other."

"Oh. Oh, right."

* * *

><p>"What do jou know about Edd?" Taz questioned.<p>

Up turned and looked at Taz with a curious expression in his eyes. "What? Edd? What about him?"

"Well, what you jou know about him?" Taz asked again.

Up studied her face sceptically. "You don't think Edd's…"

"I don't know," Taz replied, frowning.

"What makes you think he might be?"

"Jake," Taz said. "He said that Edd's always at extra classes, but he doesn't know what the classes are or what Edd's doing them."

"I would've thought Edd had enough classes with the double major in Chemistry and Physics," Up replied.

"Exactly," Taz said gravely.

"We should tell the Ambassador."

"But what if we're wrong?"

"Then we're wrong," Up replied. "What if we don't tell him and we're right?"

"I'll follow him one time when he goes off to these 'extra lessons'," Taz said.

Up stared at her. "You're kidding, right?"

"No."

"What if you are right, and he sets a load of robots on you?" Up demanded. "You could get hurt, or found out!"

"I won't get found out, Up. I won't let him see me," Taz retorted.

"Taz, don't be stupid."

"I'm not being!" Taz protested. "I don't want to go blaming people until I'm totally sure dat I'm right, okay?"

"There are other ways to find out whether you're right you know."

"Go on, then. Let's here you're amazing idea."

Up stared at her, saying nothing. After a few seconds he sighed and looked away. Taz smiled triumphantly. "Fine," Up growled. "But you're staying on radio to me, so I know what's going on. Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

><p>Taz slid into the corridor silently. She'd just watched as Edd ran out from the Maths room, quickly making an excuse to Andi and Sam about having to get to an extra class, before legging it off down the corridor faster than lightning. Taz had stood up seconds after, sliding out of the door with ease and walking quickly to catch up with Edd as he turned this corner and that corner.<p>

Edd had eventually turned into one of the corridors leading to the old laboratories. These rooms were rarely used now, after the new block had been made, and they were only used as storage rooms and for the teachers who were running extra lessons. Taz felt a pang of worry. What if Edd was only here for an extra lesson? She pushed it back, knowing that would mean she was right not to tell the Ambassador yet.

For half a second Taz considered going back, turning and walking away because it was apparent that Edd was not their target, but then he stopped and looked around, as thought he was checking no one was following him. Taz slunk into the shadows, hiding herself from view. Edd walked left, down one of the corridors. Taz hesitated a second before following.

Taz leaned around the door of the laboratory, dreading what she would see when she did. She had a good reason to dread.

Edd was stood with his back to the door, a video screen in front of him. An image of the robot Ambassador's face filled the screen, its eyes as emotionless as they always were, his expression as cold. Taz spun round, leaning back against the wall, a sick feeling climbing up her throat and making her want to retch. And for a second there she'd been willing to believe that Edd was anything but a traitor.

Taz forced herself to listen carefully, though listening to this conversation was the last thing she wanted to do.

"And the plan?"

"The plan is going great," Edd said, sounding almost what you could call excited. His voice was high pitched, and there was a lot of shuffling, like he was showing the robot Ambassador papers of some kind. "Um…if you see, the production of the Mega-girl unit is going very well, I should be finished within a few weeks-"

"You don't need to give me a running commentary, human. Be quiet for once." Edd trailed off into silence, and the only thing that followed was more shuffling noises from Edd moving things around on the desk. "Do you realise that you are being watched?"

Taz froze, dead on the spot. Her heartbeat quickened and her breathing became ragged. There was a noise, a metallic noise that reminded Taz of the sound when someone picks up a gun. Oh shit. Taz couldn't move. If she made a run for it, she would definitely get seen, and the probably shot, but staying where she was meant that it was impossible for Edd not to find her, and then she would probably be shot. Taz decided that running was the best option. Less likely to get shot, less likely to be discovered to be who she really was. She braced herself.

"What, where?" Edd demanded, his footsteps turning on the spot.

"Not now, foolish human." Taz stopped, her arms falling limp by the sides as she left out a slow breath that she had to quickly control to avoid it being loud enough to be heard by Edd and the Ambassador. "People are beginning to suspect you. Your friends, they are starting to wonder whether your 'extra classes' are all that they seem. You should watch your back, human."

"Okay," Edd agreed, sounding nervous.

"Good. I'm expecting the Mega-girl unit to be finished by the February 16th," the robot Ambassador said. That was less than three weeks away.

"Bu- but that's-"

"There should be a problem, should there?" the robot Ambassador questioned, his tone clearly threatening.

Edd audibly gulped. "No, Ambassador," he murmured. "That won't be a problem, I'll have it done."

The Robot Ambassador toned off without so much as a goodbye and Edd was left in the laboratory, gulping in air and holding the side for support. Taz couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for him, but she forced the feeling back, he was a traitor, whether he wanted to be or not.

Edd began to walk towards the door of the lab and Taz slunk into the shadows in the next doorway, watching as Edd cautiously made his way back up the corridor the way he had come.

_A/N: _Yeah, I told you it went weird! Ah well…I don't think it turned out as funny as I wanted it to, sorry…And 37KMV I said you were wrongXP


	4. Drunk!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own them…yet. I can dream!

_A/N: _Heh heh heh (evil grin).

Song of the chapter: Last Friday Night- Katy Perry

_"Pictures of last night, ended up online, I'm screwed. Oh well._  
><em>It's a black top blur but I'm pretty sure it ruled. Last Friday night.<em>  
><em>Yeah we danced on tabletops, and we took too many shots.<em>  
><em>Think we kissed but I forgot last Friday night."<em>

"Luz...?" Jake said, leaning back against Taz's armchair and staring at her. She glanced up suspiciously, her eyes narrowed. Jake grinned widely, in a way that clearly said he wanted something. He flicked his hair out of his eyes, his green eyes twinkling hopefully. "Do you remember when I asked you to come for a drink?" he asked.

"Yes...?" Taz replied, the 'e' extended cautiously.

"Well, do you want to come out with us tonight?" Jake asked, still grinning and showing off his white teeth. Taz raised an eyebrow. "It's Tony's birthday," he explained hurriedly.

"How many people are going?"

"Me, Tony, Edd-" Taz's brain paused on that name. The target. Going out with him, would it be a good idea? It would definitely gain his trust more..."-Andi, Sam, you- hopefully- and I was thinking you could bring your roommates, and Matt...?"

Taz looked up at him, and the hopeful smile on his lips. She sighed. "Fine," she said, picking up her book again. "I'll come." Jake opened his mouth, Taz saw him in the corner of her eye. "And I'll invite Kaitlin and Sara," Taz added.

"What about Matt?"

"Uh, he won't be able to come. He's…got stuff to do." This 'stuff' being going to meet the Ambassador to discuss their plan of action. Taz had wanted to go with him but the Galactic League said it would arouse too much suspicion. _Estupido _Galactic League.

"Oh right, but you'll come?"

"Yeah."

* * *

><p>"Oh, yay!" Kaitlin said as soon as she heard the news. "I haven't been to a party in ages!"<p>

"Well it's not really a party, it's just-"

"What are you going to wear?" Kaitlin demanded.

"Well, I don't kno-"

"You should wear that blue dress," Kaitlin decided, giving Taz a big smile.

"Well, I suppo- hey! How do jou know about dat dress?" Taz questioned, looking at Kaitlin accusingly. "Have jou been rooting through my drawers?"  
>Kaitlin gave her a nervous smile. "...no?" Taz glared at her. "I'm sorry," Kaitlin said sadly. Taz shrugged, mumbling something about it being no big deal. Kaitlin grinned. "But you should definitely wear it! It'll look great on you!"<p>

"I don't really think-"

As it happened, Taz didn't really have a choice. Kaitlin dragged Taz into her room, pushing her onto the bed before pulling the dress out of the bottom drawer with a flourish, chucking at Taz, the belt following close behind.

"Put it on," Kaitlin instructed. "I'll be back in a second. I'll lend you a pair of heels. You seem to own none." She looked rather puzzled by the concept of someone not owning a pair of heels, and then she shook her head and trotted out of the room.

Taz sighed, standing up and holding the dress up with slight annoyance. She couldn't wear this. She glanced at the door. She kind of had too.

She sighed again, quickly stripping her sweats and tank top off and pulling the dress over her head lightly. It was a modest dress, one sleeved and coming to around 3 inches above her knee. The dress flowed out from her lower waist, where it had been stitched, and twirled round when she span. Taz picked the belt up, flicking the floaty material of the sleeve out of the way as she followed the stitching of the dress with the belt. She pulled her hair out of its band and brushed it so it fell straight and silky. She didn't see the point of doing anything to it; it looked fine as it was.

Kaitlin flounced back into the room as she turned around. She grinned.

"See, I told you it would look good," she said.

Taz turned and looked at herself in the full-length mirror on the wardrobe. It did look good. Not prom dress with Cat kind of good, but still pretty good.

"Now put some make-up on," Kaitlin instructed as she dumped the heels on Taz's bed. Taz raised an eyebrow at her and Kaitlin stared at her. Then she gaped. "You do have make-up, right?" she demanded. Taz shrugged and Kaitlin blinked viciously at her, before hurrying out of the room again.

She was back within seconds, a make-up bag in her hand. She dumped it on the side next to the mirror and studied Taz's face.

"My foundation's too light for you," she stated. "Ah well, your skins perfect anyway." She rooted in the bag, and pulled out eyeliner. She held it out to Taz. "You do know how to use it, right?"

Taz gave her a look and snatched the eyeliner out of her hand. "I'm not dat thick," she muttered, turning to the mirror.

They spent about ten minutes stood side by side, Kaitlin handing Taz make-up products and Taz applying them to her face until Kaitlin was satisfied with the result. By the end of it all, Taz had more make-up products on than she'd had on her Quinceañera, but for some reason the affect of Kaitlin's make-up tutorial looked better.

* * *

><p>By the time Jake and the other guys arrived at their room all three girls were ready. Kaitlin was wearing a dark red pink coloured dress, with a low 'u' neck and straps about two inches thick. It was made of thick material, patterned with embossed designs and it came to about two inches above her knee. Her brown hair was curled and the front parts pinned back. Sara was wearing a skintight black dress that was remarkably similar to Blaire's hooker dress, but slightly longer and classier, with a one-shoulder design. She'd done her hair in a braid round the side of her neck.<p>

The guys were stood at the door, all wearing casual jeans and shirts. Taz couldn't help but wish she could be wearing something as casual as them; she'd feel so much more comfortable. All the guys grinned widely and they headed out of the door. Kaitlin and Sara out in front, talking to Andi and Sam, Edd and Tony in the middle, chatting about some game. Taz and Jake took up the back, in virtual silence.

"Uh..." Jake finally said. Not much of a conversation starter. Taz looked at him. He was staring at her, and he quickly looked away, a blush appearing on his pale skin. She smirked. He glanced back at her, saw her smirk, and blushed even deeper. "You look...good," Jake commented, still blushing and looking rather flustered.

"Thanks," Taz replied.

"You're welcome," Jake said, looking away again. He was breathing with some difficulty. Taz smirked and rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Taz was dancing. This was not unusual for Taz. She had had a few drinks, and that was enough to set her off. Taz, from the very first time she got drunk, was known for her crazy dancing, flirty behaviour and for being a general lightweight when it comes to alcohol. Something that Jake, Kaitlin and the others had quickly found out.<p>

"Hey, Jake!" Taz yelled, stumbling uncoordinatedly towards where Jake and Sara were sat on one of the sofas, making out without a care in the world. Jake broke away and looked up; saw who it was, and his face lit up.

"Luuuuuuuuuuz!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He'd had a few more drinks than Taz, but somehow still managed to be more coordinated than her, managing to jump up with barely a stumble. "Want to dance?" he asked, smirking manically and holding a slightly unsteady hand out to Taz. She practically fell on him, somehow managing to drag him onto the dance floor by his shirt, while almost falling flat on her face more than twenty times.

"This is well annoying!" she cried, on the twentieth stumble. She stamped her foot and jumped up slightly, promptly falling again. Jake caught her round the waist and steadied her, turning her around to face him.

"Calm down, Luzzy," he murmured, grinning. Taz was too light-headed to realise what he'd just called her. She just grinned back at him as Jake started to clumsily dance around in a circle. They were doing some kind of ridiculous waltz that only succeeded in making them both burst into laughter and stagger round dizzily.

A new song came on and Taz was dragged away to dance with Edd. She was too caught up in the dancing and the alcohol to concentrate on the fact she was dancing with the target, but that didn't matter. Edd and Taz just danced around madly, getting thrown this way and that by the other dancers. They spun, and jumped, and charged their way around the dance floor, screaming out the lyrics of the song in a way that couldn't even be classed as singing. Taz turned and faced Sara, who was giggling to herself, a drink in her hand. She saw Taz and grabbed blindly at her.

"Hey, Taz!" she cried over the music, gripping Taz's arm. "Have I kissed you yet?"

"Nope," Taz replied, still dancing crazily.

"Aw, I've kissed everyone else!" Sara exclaimed.

Taz spun round again. "Gimme a kiss then," she said, leaning in. Mentality told her she was going insane. Her body really didn't give a damn. Sara gave her a kiss on the lips and they both screamed loudly. Sara grabbed Taz hand and they spun around, their arms flying in the air. Taz grabbed Sara's drink from her and downed it. The glass slipped out of her grasp and fell to the floor, smashing and cutting her foot.

"Oops," she muttered, oblivious to any pain but very aware of the blood that was now trickling down to her toes. She stumbled off, making her way to the edge of the dance floor where the music was a lot quieter. Jake caught her arm, pulling her over to one of the sofas where they both collapsed down, grinning. Jake pulled a funny face and set them both off into hysterics. Taz looked at Jake after a few minutes, only to find that he had ordered four more drinks. He passed her two hopefully, and she took them without complaint, smirking.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later and Jake and Taz were still sat on the sofa, crying with laughter, the entire table in front of them covered in empty glasses, drinks spilling all over their hands as they attempted to drink, talk and laugh all at the same time. Taz downed yet another drink, before jumping to her feet as a new song began blearing through the sound system.<p>

"Dance?" she asked, to intoxicated to form a proper sentence.

"The floors full," Jake murmured.

"On the table then!" Taz exclaimed, dragging Jake to his feet and stumbling backwards and putting her hand on the glass filled table to steady her. She turned, climbing up onto the table unsteadily and kicked the empty glasses away so they smashed on the floor. Jake stared up at her as she began to dance, and then quickly joined her. Taz grinned at him, throwing herself at him and dancing round him with a lack of dignity that her sober self would be horrified with. They danced for a few songs, their bodies shoved against each other, Taz's hair continuously whipping Jake in the face. Neither of them really cared. Taz spun round to face Jake, her arms in the air and her stomach pressed against his. She looked up at him and grinned, about to turn round. He grabbed her round the waist, refusing to let her turn. She grinned at him, continuing to dance and laughing loudly.

Jake leaned down and kissed her as she was laughing. Taz was taken aback, and every cell in the back of her brain was telling her that this was a terrible idea. The alcohol-affected part of her brain didn't agree. She laughed against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself closer to him, their tongues entwining as she did. Jake pressed his hands to her back, forcing her feet closer to him. She stumbled, and clung to his neck, making Jake stumble. They both toppled off the table top, landing on the sofa with a crash, their legs and arms tangled together. Neither person registered what had happened, just ignoring their change in position and working with it, pressing themselves together with a sense of viciousness.

"Whoa, jeez you two," someone said. The pair broke apart and looked up at Tony, who rolled his eyes at them. "Get a freaking room!"

"Who needs to get a room?" a voice called. Sam appeared behind him, saw Taz and Jake on the sofa and wolf whistled. "Get in there, mate!" Sam said, whipping his hand slightly. "Mind if I join you- in the room, I mean?" Taz threw a shoe at him, before turning back to Jake and locking lips with him again.

* * *

><p>"THIS WAS THE FUNNIEST NIGHT EVER!" Kaitlin shrieked, turning round to look at everyone as they turned the corner towards the campus gates. She was hanging off Tony's arm, looking like she might just fall over at any second. "WE SO NEED TO THIS AGAIN!"<p>

"YEEEEEEEAAAH MAAAAAAAAN!" Andi bellowed, before quickly returning to his duet of 'Sexy and I Know it' with Edd.

"BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVEEEEEEEER!" Tony yelled, spinning Kaitlin under his arm and catching her again, picking her up and throwing her into his shoulder as he made his way through the gates. Kaitlin screamed, pummelling his back viciously. Tony just laughed.

Jake ran up from behind and slung his arms around Taz and Sam. "You guys still up for that threesome?" he asked loudly, grinning and laughing. Taz burst into laughter, unable to control the screeches. Sara started laughing in front of them, turning and grabbing Taz's arms, pulling her from Jake's grip. She flung her arm around Taz's waist.

"Sorry, guys. This one's mine," she said, pulling an expression that Taz guessed was meant to look like a man. Taz burst into giggles and stuck her tongue out at Jake and Sam as the two girls turned away.

As they got through the gates, Sara let go of Taz and staggered off towards Edd. Taz slowed down, feeling light-headed. Her stomach was turning. Jake and Sam were both talking and over took her as she staggered off towards the bushes. She leaned over, her body suddenly feeling like a tonne of bricks to carry around. Her stomach churned and she retched, her entire days meals coming from her mouth. She stared, repulsed, and wiped her mouth, planning to stagger back over to the others. She turned though and lost all sense of direction, stumbling wildly onto the grass and tripping over a root, only just managing to steady herself.

"Fuck," she grumbled, beginning to turn. She grabbed hold of a leaf which snapped off in her hand and she threw it irritably onto the floor. Her coordination was all off and she continued to stagger onto the grass, until her ankle buckled in her left heel. Pain spiked through her body and she fell front first onto the grass, her legs splayed out in different directions and her forehead on the floor. Her ankle was hurting, pain spiking up her leg every time she moved her foot. She let it flop.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she muttered into the dirt. "Fuck fuck, fuck, fuckety fuck, fuck fuck fuckania, fuckfuck, fuck."

* * *

><p>Taz grumbled slightly as hands reached down and lifted her off the floor.<p>

"You really are a drunken fool," a voice said. "You're lucky Up told me to keep a lookout for you."

Cal rearranged Taz in his arms and began carrying her back towards the teachers building. He'd call Up from his room, get him to come and pick the damn idiot up. He was _so _glad Up's meeting hadn't taken that long, he didn't know what he would have done if he'd had to deal with Taz for the whole night.

"Why am I flying?" Taz asked. She knew full well she wasn't flying, but it seemed like the right question to ask anyway.

"Because I'm carrying you, dumb ass," came her reply.

"Why are jou carrying me?" Taz demanded.

Cal lifted his knee, supporting Taz with it as he typed the code into the door with one hand. He turned around and pushed the door open with his back, carrying her inside and towards the stairs.

"Because you're drunk."

"...so?"

Cal rolled his eyes. "Because you can't walk," he added.

Taz moved in his arms, glaring at him. "I can too walk!" she argued, loudly.

"So if I put you on the floor now, you'll be able to make your own way back to your room?" Cal asked.

"Yes!"

"No, you won't," Cal stated. "You couldn't even make it down a path."

"I CAN WALK!" Taz screamed. She pushed against Cal's arms, and he had a hard time not dropping her. She screamed and thrashed around, hitting him and kicking him.

"STOP IT!" Cal yelled.

"PUT ME DOWN!" Taz screamed in return, slapping him in the head.

"YOU'LL FUCKING FALL DOWN THE STAIRS AND DIE!" Cal responded. "DO YOU WANT THAT?"

"I CAN WALK!" She thrashed around some more, throwing her arms and legs around violently. One of her high-heeled shoes flew off and the hit the wall of the stairwell. Taz stopped struggling immediately. "My shoe came off," she stated.

"I know."

"Go back and get my shoe."

"No."

"GO BACK AND GET MY SHOE!" Taz screeched, slapping Cal again.

"NO."

"NOOOOOOOW!" Taz punched him in the arm, almost making him drop her again. Even drunk, she was still bloody strong.  
>Cal groaned loudly. "YOU GET IT!" he yelled and set her down on the stairs. She stared up at him and he gave her a look, crossing his arms. She glared up at him and turned towards her shoe.<p>

Taz did actually make it down the stairs, using a mixture of walking, falling, clinging to the underside of the banister and sliding. She reached her shoe with a smile of triumph on her face, which lasted less than a second. Her stomach had begun churning again halfway down, and the feeling was now almost unbearable. Taz held her stomach, her head spinning and her entire body feeling weak. She leaned over and puked again, all over her shoe.

"Shit," she heard Cal say as she leaned back against the wall, the whole world seemingly spinning around her. Cal charged back down the stairs and picked her up. He kept her down low for a second.

"Pick up ya shoe then," he said. Taz obliged, picking up her sicked on shoe and allowing Cal to carry her the rest of the way up the stairs and to his room.

* * *

><p>"Where the fuck's Luz gone?" Kaitlin asked, looking behind the group to where Luz had been walking moments before.<br>Sara turned and looked. They both stopped, their eyes scanning the scene to find their friend.

"There!" Sara said, pointing to Luz just as she toppled over out of sight.

"Whoa, is she okay?" Kaitlin said. She was about to step forwards, when Sara grabbed her arm suddenly, yanking her behind a tree. "What are you-" Sara silenced Kaitlin with her finger. She gestured round the side of the tree. Kaitlin leaned round, watching as a tall man with blonde hair leaned down and picked Luz up from the floor, walking back towards the teachers building.

The girls exchanged a look.

"Do you think we should..."

"...follow them?"

They both grinned. "Let's go."

Kaitlin and Sara ran towards the building in unison. Barely making any sound as they stumbled their way along the grass. They ran to the wall, putting their backs against the stone and making their way along the edge silently, hiding themselves from any passers by that could walk past and spot them. After a few seconds and several slip-ups from the both girls they reached the door, slipping inside and jumping begin the nearest pillar before they could be seen by the man who was carrying Luz.

Luz was screeching in his ear and punching and kicking him as he carried her. The man appeared unaffected by this and continued talking to her and arguing with all protests she came up with in an attempt to get him to put her down.

"Isn't that...?" Sara began, her head tilted slightly.

Kaitlin looked at her. "Isn't it who?"

"The new P.E teacher...?" Sara asked, frowning. "I swear it is! Mr Cal!"

Kaitlin looked back at the man, narrowing her eyes and concentrating on him. Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh dead-god, it is!" she squealed.

Sara slapped her on the arm. "Shut up, you idiot!"

"Sorry."

Mr Cal had now stopped on the stairs, and was watching Luz make her way back down on her hands and knees. Sara and Kaitlin watched nervously as she made her way towards the high heeled shoe half way down the stairwell, almost falling a hundred times on the way and nearly giving both girls a heart attack.

"That's my shoe," Kaitlin complained as Luz puked up her guts all over the abandoned heel, holding her stomach and wheezing.  
>Mr Cal cursed, running down the stairs and scooping Luz up into his arms again, pausing only to allow her to pick up the shoe before travelling up the stairs again. The two girls waited until they got to the top of the stairs and around the corner, beginning up the next flight.<p>

"Come on," Sara said, gripping Kaitlin's hand and running towards the stairs, taking her shoes off as she went to avoid making as much noise on the uncarpeted floor. The two girls tiptoed upstairs, cringing whenever the steps creaked and stopping dead, looking at each other with fear etched into their features for a couple of minutes before continuing up the stairs. It took the girls five minutes to catch up to Mr Cal and Luz, turning the corner just in time to see them disappear out of sight down a corridor. They ran up quickly and silently, both leaning round the corner to watch as Mr Cal carried her to a room about halfway down the corridor. He typed the passcode in, and then pushed the door open with his elbow, carrying her inside whilst also telling her to shut up and not be so loud.

The two girls said nothing for a minute or two, leaning against the wall of the stairwell and staring round the corner towards Mr Cal's door, both frowning deeply.

"What's she doing going into a teachers room," Kaitlin whispered. Sara shrugged. "Do you think she's sleeping with him?" Sara gave her a look. "No, seriously! Do you?" Kaitlin paused, thinking about it. "I mean, it's possible. Jake always says that her and Matthew know that teacher better than anyone else does, like they've known him for years!"

"Maybe they have known him for years...?"

"According to all the other teachers Mr Cal's never met either of them before they came here..."

"Well," Sara thought for a second. "If your theory's right, how does Matthew know so much about him?"

"I don't know," Kaitlin admitted. "Well she is his bes-" Kaitlin broke off, looking down the stairwell as the sound of pounding feet became apparent against the steps. Kaitlin looked at Sara, who grabbed her hand and dragged her into the corridor in the opposite direction to Mr Cal's. The two girls pressed themselves against the wall and held their breath as Matthew bounded to the top of the steps, immediately turning onto Mr Cal's corridor and jogging to the door. He banged on the door with his fist and then waited, hand against the doorframe wearily.

Mr Cal came to the door after only a few seconds. "Up, thank fuck. Seriously, how the hell do you deal with her when she's like this?" Mr Cal demanded, moving out of the way to let Matthew in.

Matthew sighed. "Trust me, it's not easy," he murmured, walking in. The door closed behind them.

"Threesome?" Sara asked.

"Why did he call him 'Up?'"

"Could be a pet name," Sara commented.

Kaitlin gave her a ludicrous look. "Yeah, that's a great pet name isn't it?" She rolled her eyes. "Why do you reckon he knew the way to Mr Cal's room?"

"Like I said, threesome."

"I don't see it," Kaitlin said.

"So you can see Luz sleeping with a teacher, but you can't see Matt wanting a bit of the action too?"

Kaitlin frowned. "It just doesn't add up," she said.

"We should probably go," Sara said. "Before they come out again."

Kaitlin nodded slightly, looked down the corridor towards Mr Cal's door one last door, and then headed down the stairs after Sara.

_A/N: _This was SO fun to write. Oh, and now we have a mini plot twist. Sort of…


	5. Suspicions

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Taz, or Up, or Cal.

_A/N: _This chapter may be a little boring. Sorry.

OMG. I JUST SPENT LIKE TEN MINUTES SORTING OUT THOSE LINES! Oh well. Just note. The lines are meant to be longer. You'll get it when you read it.

Song of the chapter- Dirty Little Secret, All American Rejects

_"My dirty little secret, who has to know, when we live such fragile lives. It's the best way we survive._  
><em>I go around a time or two, just to waste my time with you.<em>  
><em>Tell me all that you've thrown away, find out games you don't wanna play.<em>  
><em>You are the only one that needs to know."<em>

"Uh…Taz?"

Taz ignored Up, proceeding to bury herself under the covers in a ball, her arms hiding her face and her head resting on Up's stomach. Her knees were tucked into her stomach, her toes curled under in attempt to keep them warm. Up lifted the covers slightly, trying to catch sight of the small girl. She screamed and lashed out immediately, smacking Up in the face and claiming the entire cover to be her own, curling it around her and holding it tightly so there was no chance of Up taking it from her again.

"What _are _you doing?" Up questioned. Taz whined slightly and mumbled something that was probably an insult, according to the angry tone and the slap on the arm it was accompanied by. Up chuckled lightly. "Hangover?" Taz whined again and nodded against his stomach. "Coffee?" Taz nodded again. "Well you're going to have to move at least a little bit," he told her. Taz did nothing for a second, thinking about the situation. As far as Up could tell, she was fairly content on his stomach and was considering whether coffee was worth the painful move off him. She eventually obliged, rolling off to the left slightly, whinging quietly as she did.

Part of Taz's hair had come loose from her bundle of covers, and Up shook it slightly as he was sitting up. Taz made no response, so Up did it again. She kicked him violently, her leg disappearing back into the covers as fast as it had left. Up laughed loudly and Taz screeched, throwing herself at him and pummelling his arms until he got off the bed and ran out of the room. As he left he glanced back to see that Taz was back in foetal position, and the only body part exposed to the air was the little finger of her right hand, which was firmly tightened around the edge of the cover.

He returned a few minutes later- mug of coffee in his hand- to find that she was in exactly the same position that he'd left her in, but on the floor.

"Is the floor more comfortable?" he asked, a smirk gradually growing on his face as she peeked her eyes out from the midst of the covers and glared at him. "Or did you roll off and couldn't be bothered getting up again?" She nodded solemnly.

Up chuckled, setting the coffee down on the table and scooping Taz back up off the floor, lying her limp form back onto the bed. Under her forceful grip he also climbed onto the bed with her, and she crawled into his arms, resting her head on his chest and making little grabby hands in the direction of the coffee mug.

Up raised an eyebrow at her, smirking. She furrowed her eyebrows and pouted at him, before looking back at the coffee and reaching her arm out as far as she could without exerting any kind of effort. When her hand failed to reach the coffee she turned back to Up and gave him a look to say: 'see, I can't reach. Gimme!'

Up did, sighing. Taz took the coffee and snuggled up to Up a little more, holding the coffee with both hands and staring down at the small dark brown swirls amidst the milkier brown. She tilted the coffee slightly a few times, until the swirls disappeared, leaving only the familiar milky brown.

"Are you going to drink that or just stare at it?" Up asked. Taz elbowed him lightly, being careful not to the spill any of the coffee. She took a little sip and smiled slightly. "So, did you have a good time last night?" Up asked. Taz did not reply, nor did she acknowledge that she'd even heard him. Up sighed, those kinds of questions would have to wait until a later time in the day, once she'd finished her coffee and taken about three hours to recover from the headache that was most probably pounding viciously in her head.

* * *

><p>It was about twelve o'clock when Taz finally agreed to leave the room with Up. She was wearing a pair of sweats with a baggy t-shirt and one of Up's hoodies. It completely drowned her- coming down to her knees if she pulled it down enough- but she didn't really care, it covered her face if she put the hood up, which was all she really wanted.<p>

Up took her for a walk around the campus. It was drizzling, which didn't bother either of them. They'd both been through worse than getting a little wet, and the rain was helping Taz's headache.

"Luz! Matt!" a voice shouted. Taz and Up stopped and looked to the left. Tony was jogging towards them, a big grin on his face. His blonde dreadlocks were swinging behind him in a ponytail.

"Hey, Tony," Up said cheerfully. "Sorry I couldn't come last night."

"Oh, nah mate, don't worry about it!" Tony exclaimed, smiling. "Where did you have to go?" Taz and Up exchanged a look. They hadn't had time to create a back-up story yet. Up hesitated for a second. "Oh sorry, you don't have to tell me if it's something private," Tony said, looking embarrassed.

"No, no, it's fine," Up said, thinking quickly. "I had to go and sort out my grandfathers will."

"Oh, sorry," Tony replied, looking down.

"Oh don't worry, it was ages ago. Just problems with the financial stuff," Up explained. Taz was impressed with Up's acting skills, she couldn't have come up with something that fast, nor could she have made it seem so god damn believable. Tony still looked pretty nervous, and Up knew this was the end of the subject, probably forever if Tony did what Up thought he would and go warn the others not to mention it. "So anyway, did you have a good time last night?"

Tony immediately looked up, his eyes flickering to Taz for a second. "Yeah, that's actually why I came over…uh…Luz, can I have a word?" He paused, as Luz glared at him. "In private," he added.

Taz huffed loudly, already beginning to work out what Tony wanted to talk about. She trudged forwards grumpily, walking past Tony and stopping a few metres away. Tony quickly followed her.

"You're really not good with alcohol are you," Tony commented, glancing at her appearance.

"Shut up, Tony," Taz growled back. "Not all of us are immune to the effects of a hangover!"

Tony smirked. "Sorry, yeah. Edd's back in the room, he's pretty much dead too."

"Good to know," Taz muttered. "Jou wanted to talk?"

"Uh, yeah. I was just thinking- because I was over in Jake's room earlier, and he's buzzing about it- do you remember what happened between you and him?"

Taz groaned so loudly that she saw Up give her a worried look out of the corner of her eye. "Shit," she groaned. "He _would _remember wouldn't he!" Her head fell back and she stared at the sky, grumbling internally.

Tony nodded. "That's how I thought you'd react."

"What's dat meant to mean?" Taz asked, lifting her head and leaving her hood behind.

"I didn't think it meant anything," Tony explained. "But that's not what Jake thinks. He's convinced he has a chance now…"

Taz pulled a face. "Can jou tell him?" she asked.

Tony barked with laughter. "Pha, you've _got _to be kidding me?" Taz gave him a little pleading look. "I'm not being the one to break his heart, that's your job." Tony gave her a look, before beginning to turn around. Taz groaned again, her forehead falling into her hand. "Oh, and Kaitlin and Sara are looking for you," Tony added, turning slightly. "Something about a teacher's bedrooms or something…" He turned and walked away, leaving Taz to groan even louder, her head in her hands and an extremely pissed off expression on her face.

* * *

><p>Taz walked into her room, knowing that the only way anything was going to get better was just to face it. Kaitlin and Sara pounced on her as soon as she walked through the door, just as she'd known they would.<p>

"Where did you disappear off to last night?" Sara demanded.

"I think jou already know the answer to dat question."

"How do you know Mr Cal?" Kaitlin asked. "The teachers said you'd never met him before you came here."

"I hadn't. Turns out he's related to Matthew. His uncle, hasn't seen him for years." This was something that had already been discussed by Taz and Up, soon after Tony had told Taz about Kaitlin and Sara looking for her.

"They don't look anything like each other," Kaitlin said. "And Mr Cal's British isn't he?"

"Moved to Britain when Matt was four," Taz replied, lying with ease now that she had a cover story.

Kaitlin looked at her suspiciously. Taz didn't look away from her gaze, knowing that it would only make it seem like she was lying, and Taz really didn't need to look any more suspicious than she already did right now.

"Are you having regular threesomes with Matt and Mr Cal?"

Taz nearly fell over she spun to look at Sara so fast. Her head whipped round, sending her whole body completely off balance. She threw her hand against the wall to keep her steady as she stared at Sara, looking half-horrified, half-furious. Kaitlin slapped her friend on the arm with the back of her hand and Sara yelped, turning to glare at Kaitlin.

"What was that for?" she demanded, rubbing her arm.

"What do you _think _it was for?" Kaitlin responded, hands on hips. Sara shrugged and Kaitlin slapped her again. "For being an _idiot_!"

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I'm getting this," Taz said, holding her hand up slightly. Both girls looked at her. "Jou think I'm having threesomes? With Matt and Cal?" Neither girl said anything. Kaitlin looked down and Sara bit her lip, looking nervous. Taz stared at them for a minute, the idea still processing in her head. She let out a loud laugh, covering her mouth and giggling for a few seconds. Kaitlin and Sara both raised their eyebrows at her, shocked by her response. "Trust me," Taz said. "I would _never_ have sex with Cal." She sniggered again.

"What about Matt?" Sara asked. Kaitlin slapped her again and Taz glared. Sara took the warning, nodding slightly and looking down without saying another word.

"Okay, fine then," Kaitlin said. "But why did Mr Cal carry you into his room?"

Taz smirked. "He was just looking after me until U…uh, Matt, came to pick up from his room. Matt knows what a fool I am when I'm drunk, and he got Cal to look out for me when I came into the gates, make sure I wasn't in any trouble."

Sara looked up, shuffling towards Kaitlin. "Kait, she nearly said the pet name," she muttered loudly.

Kaitlin elbowed her. "Luz…?"

"Yes…?"

"Why did Mr Cal call Matthew 'Up'?"

Taz froze quite suddenly, blinking rapidly. Her brain went into overtime, trying to come up with a suitable back-story, something simple, something discrete. Her brain came up blank. She swallowed loudly, knowing this silence looked really bad and that she had to say something quickly. Kaitlin and Sara were both frowning, looking deeply suspicious. Damn.

"Are jou sure jou didn't hear him wrong?" Taz asked, knowing full well it was a long shot, and that there was no way Kaitlin and Sara would be fooled. Not after that silence.

"Positive," Sara said, narrowing her eyes.

"Um, I don't know," Taz replied. She swallowed again. "I was asleep-" Complete lie, she'd been sat on the sofa holding her stomach and grumbling when Up came to the door. "-jou should ask Matt." It wasn't the best thing to do, send all the problems over to Up, but Taz didn't know what else to do, and Up was more likely to come up with a suitable story that wasn't going to give them away. "Uh…got to go!" Taz laughed weakly, charging out of the room as fast as she'd entered, slamming the door behind her and practically running the whole way to Up's room.

* * *

><p>"Hang on, hang on, explain this to me again," Up said calmly. "But slowly this time, I can't understand what you're saying." Taz sighed dramatically and explained the conversation she'd just had with Kaitlin and Sara for the second time, being careful to miss out all mentions of 'the threesome'. There was a tone of panic still in her voice, and she was flapping her hands about rather violently while explaining. Up took her hands calmly, saving himself from being slapped in the face. "You need to calm down," he stated.<p>

"_Calm down_?" Taz shrieked. "I can't _be_ calm right now! What if we get found-"

"We're not going to get found out," Up promised, catching her eye and stroking his thumb up her wrist soothingly. "It'll be fine."

"But-"

"It'll be fine, Taz. I'll figure something out, don't worry." Taz gave him a look as if to say 'I'm already worried jou _idiota_,' and Up couldn't help but grin at her. She glared and turned her back to him. "Aw, come on," Up whined. "Don't be mean! It's weekend, I'm bored, and I want to watch Karate Kid!"

Taz laughed lightly, her glare dissolving immediately. "Fine," she muttered, trying and failing to still sound angry. "But jou better sort this mess out, okay?"

"Okay," Up agreed, giving her a little smile.

"Hey, Matt!" someone called, pushing open the door with significant force. "What the fuck is this bullshit? You seriously expect me to fill this in?" Taz raised an eyebrow at Up before turning to look at Jake, who was stood near the door, waving a piece of paper around with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Uh, Jake, this is probably not the best time," Up said. For the first time since he'd walked in Jake noticed that Taz was sat on the barstool beside Up. The colour drained from his face and he quickly dropped his hand, the piece of paper falling into hiding behind his back.

He laughed nervously. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll come back later."

"Wait, what?" Taz cried, jumping off her seat and walking towards Jake. She fought back the feeling that was quickly growing in the back of her mind, telling her to run away. She couldn't run away from what had happened forever. "What is it?" she asked, holding her hand out for the sheet of paper. Jake took a step backwards towards the door.

"Just, an assignment thing," he said hastily, still backing away.

"Jake," Taz warned. "Don't lie to me. What is it?" Jake looked behind her to where Up was sat, obviously looking for some help. "And stop looking at him. He's not going to help you!"

"To be honest, I think he is…"

"Luz, it just an assignment," Up called from the barstool. "Some random questionnaire we have to fill in."

"Let me see," Taz said, still holding her hand out. Jake stared at her, blinking rapidly and biting his lip. Taz wondered if he was being motionless to see how long it would take her to leave him alone. Well, two can play at that game. She stayed still, unblinking and staring at Jake with narrowed eyes. "Let me see," she repeated after a minute or so.

"No," Jake said. "It's a private questionnaire, and I've already filled it in."

"Bullshit," Taz stated. "Let me see!" Jake did nothing. Taz attacked him. She grabbed his arm and dug her nails into his flesh, grappling with the sheet in his other hand. Jake was yelling wildly, waving his arm around and trying to back out the door. Taz wouldn't let him go, spinning them round so that she was blocking the doorway. Up got up from the seat, about to come and help. Taz sent a set of keys flying in his direction. The movement distracted Jake for half a second and Taz snatched the sheet out of his hands and ducked under his arm, running to the opposite side of the room.

"Oh, shit," Jake muttered, his head falling in his hands.

Taz stared at the sheet of paper with a look of disbelief and fury.

An Application Form for the poor soul who wishes to date my best friend.

_Be warned: I do NOT advice this; she'll be the death of you._

Full Name: _

Birth date: M_D_Y_

Gender: Male/Female

Height: _inches  
>Weight: _kg<p>

Grades leaving high school: _  
>_<p>

Future career possibilities: _  
>_<p>

Number of previous girlfriends: _

Date of last break up: M_D_Y_

Reason of break up: _

Religious beliefs: _

Minutes of exercise per week: _

Favourite colour: _

Film preferences: _

Music genre: _

If you died you would like you ashes scattered _

Valentines present: _

Birthday/Christmas present: _

What do you do when she is angry: _  
>_<p>

What do you when she is upset: _  
>_<p>

Criminal record: Yes/No

If _yes_, what for? _

Want kids: Yes/No Girl/Boy/Both 1/2/3/more

Marriage: Yes/No

Just a fling: Yes/No

Describe yourself in three words: 1. _

2. _

3. _

Describe her in three words: 1. _

2. _

3. _

Signed: _

Taz didn't blink for a matter of minutes, staring at the piece of paper with an expression of denial and disbelief. She couldn't decide whether she should be angry with Up for writing this and then giving it to Jake, whether she should be flattered he cared about her enough, whether she should be mad at Jake for presuming that he was in a position to date her, or whether she should be flattered that Jake liked her enough to actually go and make sure that Up was okay with it.

"What, the fuck," Taz said. It wasn't a question; she only said it to break this unbearable silence that had fallen over everything. She looked up at Up and Jake and found that both men were looking slightly terrified; obviously thinking she was going to kill them. Taz looked at Up. "Did jou write this?"

Up mumbled something and Taz raised her eyebrow. "…Yeah," he eventually repeated.

Taz looked back at the sheet of paper. "What does favourite colour have to do with anything?" she questioned.

"A favourite colour says a lot about a person!" Up protested.

"Right, okay, whatever," Taz muttered, scanning the form again.

"Take yours for instance. Red symbolises-"

"My favourite colour's blue."

"_What?_" Up blinked, looking bemused. "Since _when_?"

"Third year, I think," Taz replied, thinking that was safe enough to say without giving anything away to Jake.

"Oh right, well that symbolises-"

"Why the hell have jou asked where he'd like his ashes scattered?" Taz demanded, gazing at Up ludicrously, slight annoyance also evident in her eyes. Up was slowly turning red. "Are jou planning on _killing him_?"

"…Maybe," Up murmured. Taz widened her eyes at him. "Only if he upsets you."

There was an _extremely _awkward silence. Not the kind of awkward where any second you know that you're all going to burst into laughter, or grin at each other or something. The kind of awkward where there isn't a sound echoing from any person's mouth, and no one quite knows what to do or say, you all just stare at each other and wait for someone to break through the awkwardness that is currently suffocating you and making the whole situation almost unbearable.

"So," Jake eventually said. The entire room exhaled. "Should I fill in the application form or-"

"No!" Taz said immediately. "Jou shouldn't. Jou don't have to." Jake raised an eyebrow. "I mean- argh- just don't fill it in!" The two men watched, amused expressions on their faces as they watched Taz violently rip the application form into shreds before throwing it into the bin with such force that the bin almost toppled over. She then turned to look at Jake. "Leave now," she said threateningly. Jake stared at her for a second, not moving. "Leave!" Taz repeated, pointing to the door. Jake still made no attempt to move. "LEAVE!" She charged towards Jake and shoved him with one hand until he scrambled backward towards the door, finally slamming the door shut behind him. Taz walked back to the sofa and flopped down, folding her arms and scowling into the air.

* * *

><p>"I actually can't believe jou did that," Taz muttered, slamming her locker door closed with rather a lot more anger than was really necessary in the situation. Up closed his locker slowly, his face emerging from behind the metal with a slightly wary expression on his face.<br>At seeing that Taz wasn't really as angry as the door slam made her sound, he smirked. "I could've done a lot worse," he protested.

"You could have done _worse_?" Taz questioned, giving him a look before turning and walking off down the hall. Up hurried to keep up with her. "Please tell me _what _would possibly have been worse than writing an application form for Jake to date me."

"I could have accepted the application." Up promptly gained a large brown leather bag shaped red mark on his forehead.

"Jou're a dick," Taz stated.

"So felt I deserved a bag in the face?" Taz hit him with the bag again. "Piss off!"

"Jou're right, jou didn't deserve _one _bag, you deserved two," Taz said, glaring at Up for a second before lowering the bag back down to her side.

"Bitch."

"Matthew!" Up stopped dead at the sound of his cover name, his face suddenly draining of all colour and his eyes growing wide. Taz turned and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hide me!" Up ordered, ducking down behind Taz and positioning her straight in front of him.  
>"Why? What from?" Taz asked, her expression bemused. Up shushed her. "Yeah, like me speaking is going to make a difference. Jou aren't exactly hidden well!"<p>

"Shush!"

"Jou shush!"

"Pleeeeeeeeeease!" Up pleaded, ducking down lower and giving Taz his best hopeless expression.

Taz rolled her eyes. "No! Now stop hiding." She dragged Up from his hiding place. "I have to put up with Edd."

"Yeah, but there's only one Edd!"

"And jou call me for not being nice!"

"Hey Matt!" Taz turned her gaze forwards and was immediately faced with three girls, all her age, maybe a year younger.

"Hey Rowan," Up said, speaking to the girl on the left, who was stood with a smile on her face bigger than any Taz had ever seen. She had coppery brown hair that was tied up, leaving bangs around her face, and her eyes were a light blue colour, which was made very obvious as her eyes were about as wide as her grin.

"How are you?" the middle girl asked.

"Are you not going to introduce us?" the girl on the other end questioned, blatantly looking at Taz. Taz gave the girl a little smile.

"Uh, yeah," Up said hastily. He quickly introduced them to be Emma, Lisa and Rowan. Lisa was the girl on the right, a fairly tall girl with dark brown hair that fell to the middle of her chest in layers. Emma, the middle girl, was the smallest of the three, with dark hair and equally dark eyes.

"Hi," Taz said awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say. The three girls smiled, replied with their equally awkward hellos.

"So, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Up asked, trying to start a conversation of some sort in the silence that had fallen.

"Uh," Emma murmured, looking at her friends for guidance. "We just wanted to say hello, and we've been wanting to meet Luz, and-"

"Are you having a threesome with Luz and Mr Cal?" Lisa blurted out, staring at them both intently. Rowan burst into laughter behind her, and Emma slapped her friend on the arm, giving her a scolding look.

Taz let her head fall into her hand. "Are you by any chance friends with my roommates?" she asked.

"No…?" Rowan said, extending the 'o' for a very long time and seemingly ending the word with a question mark. She sniggered slightly, looked at Emma and Lisa, and burst into laughter again.

Emma cut in, holding her hand over Rowan's mouth in an attempt to shut her up.

"I'm sorry about her," she said. "She's a little…" she glanced at her friend. "Oh, just shut up will you!" This only made Rowan laugh harder.

"So _are _you having a threesome with Mr Cal and Luz?" Lisa asked again, tilting her head slightly.

Up turned at looked at Taz with a confused expression and Taz just shook her head slightly. She looked back at Lisa. "No, we're not." Lisa pulled an expression that looked like she was unable to decide whether she should be happy about this statement, or whether she should be annoyed.

"Oh, but Kait and Sara said-"

"I don't care what they said. We're not. I told them that yesterday."

"Well, they still said-"

"_What else did they say to jou_?" The question was very threatening, even for Taz, and Lisa backed away slightly. Rowan stopped laughing and her and Emma turned to look at Taz, their eyes wide. Taz swallowed her temper, inhaling deeply. "What else did they say to jou?" she asked again, calmer this time.

"…Nothing," Rowan said, after a pause. "Why? Is there something else they could have told us?"

"Dat is none of jour business."

"So there is something?" Emma asked, her brown eyes curious.  
>"No!" Taz cried immediately. "There isn't."<p>

The three girls looked at her suspiciously. "Okay," Emma eventually said, still not sounding convinced. She looked from Taz, to Up, then back to Taz again.

"Come on," Lisa said. "We got to get to class."

"See you later," Rowan said as the three girls turned and walked away.

As soon as the three girls were out of hearing range, Taz turned to Up. "We need to talk to Kaitlin and Sara. _Now._"

_A/N: _So yeah…xD You like? The application idea came from a picture of an application form a father had written for his daughter's boyfriend. I found it highly amusing!

p.s. Row, I read it the first time.


	6. A series of angry and awkward moments

**Disclaimer: **Song of the chapter: Knock Knock, Lenka

_"A warm bath, a good laugh, an old song that you know by heart I've tried it but they all leave me cold._  
><em>So now I'm, here waitin' to see you. My remedy, for all that's been hurtin' me.<br>Knock, knock. When life had locked me out I turned to you, so open the door.  
>'Cause you're all I need right now, it's true. Nothin' works like you."<em>

"Kaitlin, Sara! Get out here, right now!"

Taz charged through the door of her room, the door smashing loudly against the wall and swinging back so fast that Up had to quickly move before it hit him in the face. Sensing the current mood that Taz was in, Kaitlin appeared at the door to her room within seconds, a glass of water in her hands, her fingers turning white against the glass she was holding it so tightly.

"Um, hey?" she said nervously.

Taz merely glanced at her, before turning away again. "Sara!" she yelled. "Where are jou?"

"I'll be out in a minute," came Sara's reply, from the direction of the bathroom.

"Now!" Taz yelled, pursing her lips angrily.

"One second!" Sara yelled back, sounding extremely panicked.

Taz was nearly shaking with anger. "SARA! _NOW_!"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Sara yelled. There was a loud crash from the bathroom and Up and Kaitlin exchanged a worried look. They didn't know which the other was worried about, whether it was the continuing bangs from the bathroom, or for the furious look that was still growing on Taz's features.

"_Where are jou then_?" Taz shrieked.

"I'm _coming_! I'm getting dressed!"

"I don't _care_ if jou're fucking dressed!" Taz responded. "Get out here, now!"

"I'm naked!"

"I DON'T CARE!"

"Is Matthew there?"

"Yes."

"Well I'm sure _he'll _fucking care!"

Up considered this. "Well, actually ye-"

"HE DOESN'T CARE EITHER!" Taz screamed, turning to give Up a look. Up fell completely silent.

There was an irritated shriek, and a few more bangs, and then Sara finally stumbled out of the bathroom, with only a towel wrapped around her. She was looking extremely awkward, and was hitching her towel up with a desperate look in her eyes.

"Can I at least…?" she looked towards her room.

"No."

"How about-"

"No."

Sara's eyes flickered to the chair behind Up and he turned to see a bathrobe lying on the arm of the chair. He scooped it up quickly and held it out to Sara, being careful to look away when her towel nearly fell down as she reached for it. Taz gave him an annoyed look as Sara disappeared back into the bathroom. Up gave her one back.

"You can't make her stay like that!" he protested.

Sara popped back out of the bathroom, now sufficiently covered, her hair spun back in the towel like a turban. She walked over to the sofa and sat down beside Kaitlin.

"So what was it you wanted?" she questioned, folding her arms. "If it was _so _important."

Taz growled slightly under her breath. "I wouldn't be talking like that if I was in jour situation," she hissed. "Not after what jou've caused."

This seemed to hit Sara hard. She looked wounded, leaning back into the sofa and looking away.

"What did we do?" Kaitlin asked.

Taz and Up exchanged a look. They both suddenly felt very helpless, realising then that they hadn't actually discussed what they were going to say to Kaitlin and Sara. They looked back at the two girls and found that they were both looking at them suspiciously, their eyes narrowed.

"Are you going to tell us what we've done or not?" Sara questioned.

"Is it about the threesome thing?" Kaitlin asked.

"Sort of," Taz agreed.

"About telling Rowan, Emma and Lisa?"

"Sort of," Up repeated.

"Seriously, we haven't done anything else. What is this about?"

Taz and Up looked at each other.

"We need to call him," Taz said, making it quite clear to Up that she was talking about Cal.

Up raised an eyebrow. "What? We're going to…we're going to tell them?" he demanded, his expression shocked.

"Do you see anything else we can do in this situation?" Taz questioned.

"Not tell them?" Up asked.

"I'm sorry but wha-"

"Shush- Look," Taz said, sighing. "They've seen enough. If we don't tell them, they're going to come up with a load of theories and spread them around, and then we'll end up with a bunch of people that have half figured it out, and then someone will put two and two together, and we _can't let that happen_."

"But we can't _tell them_," Up protested. "Then they'll just go tell everyone!"

"We'll make them promise," Taz said. Up gave her a look. "If you were in their situation, who you tell someone? Really?"

Up glanced at Kaitlin and Sara, back a Taz, and then looked down at himself. He sighed, accepting the fact that no one in their right mind would spread round a top secret Galactic League secret unless they had some kind of death wish. Especially when him, Taz and Cal were involved.

"Fine," Up decided. "I'll call him."

The three females stayed totally silent while Up spoke to Cal on the phone, both Kaitlin and Sara giving Taz questioning looks and Taz ignoring them both. Up hung up the phone, caught Taz's eye and nodded.

"Who's coming?" Kaitlin questioned.

Both rangers ignored her.

"Is it Mr Cal?" Sara asked.

She was also ignored.

"Seriously!" Kaitlin cried. "Someone _please_ tell us what is going on?"

"Cal," Taz stated. "Cal is coming over."

"Right, _thank you_," Kaitlin said, throwing her arms up slightly and leaning back into the sofa, looking pissed.

"Why?" Sara asked. Ten seconds later and she sighed dramatically, flopped back next to Kaitlin and opting much the same position.

* * *

><p>They stayed in silence for what felt like forever, Kaitlin and Sara sat on the sofa, Taz and Up shifting their weight awkwardly. No one made eye-contact with anyone else, all looking into different areas of the room, barely even blinking. Everyone's breathing was slow and quiet, as though even breathing too loud would be a crime.<p>

When the knock came on the door, every person let out a huge breath of relief, finally letting out all that cooped up air.

Up walked opened the door, allowed Cal entrance into the room. The three females looked at him.

"You've got to be kidding about this," Cal stated, looking at Taz.

"No." Taz shook her head.

"I'm not allowing this."

"Jou have no choice," Taz responded.

"You have no right to decide what we should do, remember."

"No. But Up does, and he agrees with me," Taz said.

"Pet name!" Sara cried, pointing at Taz accusingly.

"Pet name?" Cal asked.

"Doesn't matter," Taz said hurriedly, not really wanting to explain to her Commander how her two roommates thought they were sleeping together. "We need to tell them."

"Sorry, but, what are you telling us?" Kaitlin asked.

Taz exchanged a look with Cal; he gave her a hesitant little shrug, presumably giving in. She nodded slightly to him, before looking at Up for help. Up was beside her in a second, and they sat down in the two chairs, either side of the sofa. Cal walked up and positioned himself behind Taz's chair.

"Okay," Taz said, taking a deep breath and looking at the two people on the sofa. They looked like they were close to being sick. "What do jou know about Starship Rangers?"

Both girls gave a start, clearly shocked by this question.

Kaitlin was the first to answer. "Uh, they're like space soldiers?"

Taz blinked at her. "Uh, kind of, yeah…But...What do they do?"

"They fight robots and…shit," Sara said.

Up's head fell into his hands.

"Yeah, I guess," Taz replied.

"Okay, let's go at this from a different angle," Cal said, holding his hands up. "One of you go get a laptop."  
>Kaitlin was the first to move, leaning over to the coffee table beside the sofa and picking up her laptop, opening it as she brought it back to her lap. She looked up at Cal expectantly.<p>

"Go on Google," Cal instructed. She did. "Type in: 'Ensign Taz.'"

"Oh fuck," Taz muttered. Cal ignored her.

"Oh, we know who she is," Sara said as Kaitlin typed.

"Yes, well, you definitely will in a minute," Up responded.

"Fuck," Taz muttered again.

"Which one do I click on?" Kaitlin asked.

"The top one," Cal said.

There was a silence. Kaitlin clicked on the link and waited for the page to open, Sara leaning over to look at the screen over her shoulder.

It was a strange feeling, knowing exactly when a page had opened on a computer just by seeing the expression on a person's face change so dramatically. Their eyes widened so far Taz was almost sure they were about to fall out, there mouth opening gradually into an expression somewhere between horrified and excited.

They both looked up at Taz at exactly the same time, their expressions growing even more horrified as they studied her face, her eyes, her hair. She attempted to not be too irritated by their detailed examination.

"You're…" Sara said, unable to even finish the sentence.

"Oh my god," Kaitlin said. Sara looked back at her friend to find she had scrolled further down the page and found another picture of Luz- sorry, Taz- between a man who look exactly like Matthew, but with a scar over his left eye, and another man who was exactly the same as Cal, but with blonde hair rather than black. The picture was captioned: _Commander C. Cal, Ensign Taz and Lieutenant Up. _

"Holy shi…the pet name….oh my…you're…argh!"

Kaitlin leaned back and placed the laptop back on the table, closed the screen and flopping back into the sofa, her hands held in front of her in surrender.

"This. Cannot. Be happening," she decided.

"Jou kind of have no choice. It is happening," Taz replied.

"Fucking hell," Kaitlin murmured, putting her hand on her head.

"But- I don't under- How can you be Starship Rangers?" Sara cried, staring at them. "What are you doing here?"

"We're searching for a traitor. Someone that's working with the robots," Taz replied simply.

"_Taz!_"

"TAZ!"

"Oh, _sorry_! I forgot! We're _actually_ searching for _magical creatures_ to take back to the Galactic League to be tested on for robotic characteristics!" Taz cried, sarcasm evident in her voice as she glared at Cal and Up.

"Whoa, whoa, who's the traitor?" Sara asked.

Taz opened her mouth and was immediately cut off by Cal. "She can't tell you." Taz closed her mouth, pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. Cal looked down at her with annoyance. "What do you not understand about _secret_?" Taz looked up at him and pulled her face, her tongue hanging out slightly and her nose crinkled. Cal rolled his eyes.

"I'm so confused," Sara muttered.

"Aren't we all," Up agreed.

"So what, you're not allowed to tell us who the traitor is?" Kaitlin asked.

"Nope."

"And you weren't even meant to tell us there was a traitor at all?"

"Apparently not."

"So now do we have to call you Taz and Up?"

"NO!" Cal yelled. "That would give _everything _away!"

"Jou're not allowed to tell anyone _anything_," Taz said, staring at Kaitlin and Sara intensely. "This is serious, jou two. Don't tell _anyone_."

"We won't," Sara promised.

"I think I'd sooner die," Kaitlin commented, looking at Taz warily.

"Good."

"Good that we want to die or good that-"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

There was a silence.

"Is that it?" Sara asked, looking from person to person awkwardly. "I mean, I know it wasn't a small thing you just told us, but is that it? Are we done?" She paused. "I mean, I'm kind of sat here- like- naked. So I just thought that if we're done I could, you know-"

"Jou can go and get dressed now," Taz told her.

* * *

><p>Kaitlin looked up from her paper as she heard the door open and Taz walk into the room, her bag slung over her shoulder and her eyes cloudy from lack of sleep. She smirked, putting her pen down and beckoning her friend over. Taz raised an eyebrow and made a detour on the way to her seat so she passed Kaitlin.<p>

"What?" Taz asked, leaning over the desk slightly and running her hand through her tangled hair.

"I think you're going to enjoy this lesson," Kaitlin replied, suppressing the urge to wink.

Taz narrowed her eyes, her hand still on her head. "Why?"

"We're going to be talking about the robot wars," Kaitlin answered, leaning back in her seat and smirking.

Taz pursed her lips, pulling a pitiful expression. She sucked air in through gritted teeth, shook her head at Kaitlin, and walked over to her seat. She sat down miserably and throwing her bag onto the floor under the table without even bothering to get anything out. She put her hand under her chin and looked around, blinking sleepily. She could already tell this lesson was going to splendidly.

Taz didn't listen for the first half of the lesson, choosing instead to daydream. She already knew everything that was being said, so she felt no need for her to listen to it all again. She was halfway on an aeroplane halfway to Washington DC when someone broke through her thoughts.

"Sir? Who's Ensign Taz?" It was Tony who has asked, leaning back in his seat and twiddling his pen in his hands.

"Ensign Taz?" Mr Buttonwood asked. "Well, she's a Ranger. She joined up at the age of 15. She-"

"Yeah, I know that," Tony said. "But I mean, who is she? What's her name? Her background? How did someone like that ever get into the academy?"

Taz could feel Kaitlin's eyes switching between her and Tony, and she did her best to ignore it. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as he spoke. She hoped that the teacher wouldn't respond, hoping that he'd try to continue to lesson and bring it back onto track. But this was Mr Buttonwood, that was something he wasn't known for.

"Well, no one really knows her background, or even her name for that matter," Mr Buttonwood responded. "There have been rumours that she's from the North of Mexico, one of little villages around that area. But nobody really knows anything about her, as she chose to keep things hidden once she joined the Galactic League."

"And what about how she got in?" It was Jake now that was asking the questions, and Taz felt herself frown. She knew he was only curious, but out of everyone she'd have hoped that he'd be the one not to question her. Even if he didn't know it was her.

"Um. Well. Ensign Taz has been said to be one of the best Rangers out there, so I would say that-"

"But what if the Galactic League are covering something up?" Jake asked. "I mean, from what I've heard she sounds a bit _too_ 'tough' for her age and size." That stung Taz. It felt like a stab in the back, and it hurt like hell. She stared at the back of Jake's head, feeling betrayed. He was meant to be her friend, and even if he didn't know who she was she hadn't thought he could be such a cynic. She'd thought he was nicer than that. Taz looked away, knowing that if she kept looking at him, she was going to end up getting up and punching the guy in the face for being such an idiot. And she didn't really want to do that. It would only give her away.

"No," a voice said. It was Kaitlin. Taz looked up at her roommate. "She's not a fake," Kaitlin protested. "Her height and age don't matter, you should know that. I mean, look at you! You're not exactly tall are you? And you're lanky as fuck! But that doesn't stop you from being able to beat up half the guys here."

"I guess..." Jake murmured, looking away from Kaitlin just at the right time. Kaitlin shot Taz a glance, giving her roommate a little smile before looking back to Jake. Okay. So maybe Kaitlin was a bitch at times, and she spread rumours, but you can't deny she isn't loyal to people who she considers to be a friend. Even ones who turn out not to be who they say they are.

* * *

><p>"Matthew, why is Luz ignoring me?" Jake asked.<p>

Up looked up from his P.E theory textbook and watched as Jake trudged into the room, flopping down onto the chair beside his, his expression more dismal than a dying polar bear.

"I don't know, what have you done wrong?"

"I don't know!" Jake cried, exasperated. He threw his arms up in the air in exasperation.

"Okay, well, when did she start ignoring you?" Up asked, chucking his book onto the table.

"Earlier today," Jake replied. "We'd just been doing about Starship Rangers in-"

"Whoa, hold up! Which Starship Rangers?"

"We were talking about Ensign Taz."

Up was so close to face palming it was unreal. He stared at Jake, an annoyed expression on his face. "Did you by any chance insult Ensign Taz?" he asked slowly. Jake watched his face for a moment, and then nodded. Up groaned.

"What?" Jake demanded. "What did I do?"

Up thought for a second. He couldn't exactly tell Jake that he had probably just insulted Taz in every way shape and form by saying whatever he had said, but nor could he say that it wasn't really anything important, because it really kind of was. He sighed.

"Ensign Taz is like Luz's biggest hero," he explained, deciding this was the best lie that was anywhere close to the truth.

"Ah."

"Yeah," Up agreed. "She's probably furious with you right now. You're lucky that she hasn't punched you yet. That's probably why she's ignoring you."

"Oh my god. I should probably go talk to her…"

"You think." The sarcasm in Up's voice made Jake smirk, and Up pushed him off his chair with a frown. This was not a laughing matter. "Go talk to her, before she hates you forever," he advised, leaning to pick his book back up.

"She'll do that?" Jake asked, sounding worried.

"Yes. If you don't hurry." Jake was out of the door in half a second.

* * *

><p>"Hey you," a voice said nervously. Jake. Taz looked down at her book, refusing to make any kind of recognition that she'd heard him as he sat down beside her. He knew he shouldn't have left it until this late to find her. It was like eleven o'clock now, and he'd spoken to Matthew at 3 in the afternoon. "You okay?" Jake asked, resting his left leg on his right. He was fiddling with his fingers; Taz could see him out of the corner of her eye.<p>

"I'm fine," Taz told him simply, without looking away from her book.

She heard Jake exhale. "Are you ignoring me?" Taz ignored him. "I'm sorry," Jake said.

"What for?" Taz asked. She doubted if he actually knew what he was sorry for, and if he did, it would be because he'd gone to see Up and Up had come up with some back-story so that he could apologise.

"For insulted that Ranger," Jake said. Taz stayed silent. "I went to Matthew, because I didn't understand why you were mad at me. And he explained."

"What did he say?" Taz questioned, still refusing to look up.

"He told me about how she's like your biggest hero and…stuff." Taz couldn't help but smirk slightly. Jake noticed. "Am I forgiven?"

"No."

"Aw, look, I'm really sorry," Jake pleaded. "If I'd have known then I wouldn't have said anything!"

"But jou still think it though, don't jou?" Taz questioned.

"Well…" Jake paused, biting his lip slightly. Taz glanced at him and he looked away. "Yeah…But if I'd have known it would upset I still wouldn't have said it, even if I'd have thought it!" Taz considered this. "Please forgive me…?"

Taz rolled her eyes. "Okay."

Jake jerked back slightly. "What?"

"Okay, jou're forgiven."

Taz read the last line of the book, slightly miffed by the poor ending. She stood up.

"What, really?"

"Yes, really." Taz smirked at Jake as she walked and rounded the corner, running her fingers along the oak until she reached the place she'd got the book from. Taz pushed the book back into the shelf and scanned the book titles, trying to find another book to read. She felt a presence behind her and a hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbing a book from the top shelf.

"What about this one?" Jake asked, handing her the book. She glanced at the title, 'hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.' She immediately put the book back.

"What? That's the best book ever!" Jake cried.

"Read it, in two languages, hated it in both," Taz replied, searching the shelf again. Jake yelped, horrified.

"What is the matter with you?" he demanded. Taz smirked. "It's amazing."

"It's boring."

"It's brilliant."

"It's stupid."

"It's hilarious."

"It's horrible."

"You have an awful taste I'm books," Jake decided. Taz turned round, reading the back of one of the books absently.

"Bad taste is better than no taste," she murmured, flicking her hair behind her ear. Jake stood up from where he was leant against the table.

"Do I have good taste?" he asked.

"In books?"

"In everything." Taz looked up and found Jake smirking at her. "I've got an idea," he told her, grinning. He took a long stride forward, closing the space between them so that he was right in front of her, much _too_ close. Taz didn't like the look of this idea. She backed up slightly and banged into the bookcase. Jake smirked again. "Watch out for the bookcase," he told her.

"Shut up," she said, scowling slightly. Jake smirked again and grabbed the book in her hand, pulling it out and putting it on the shelf next to her. Taz didn't have a clue what he was doing until he'd already done it. He put his hands on the shelf on either side of her and leant down, pressing his lips softly against hers. Taz went completely motionless, not entirely sure what to do. Jake pulled back after a second, giving her a tiny crooked smile. Taz stared at him with a blank expression.

"Thought I'd better do that before you get mad at me again." Taz didn't know what she was going to do until her fist had already connected with Jakes nose. He staggered away, holding his nose, the blood pouring from between his fingers. Taz charged out of the library, passing Mrs Veale on the way out and turning to point her in the right direction.

* * *

><p>Taz stormed down the corridor furiously, pushing past anyone that got in her way with aggression that sent them all flying into the opposite wall and probably injuring enough people to get her excluded. She didn't care.<p>

She reached Up's room quicker than she had thought possible. She was still fuming. She needed someone to vent to, and fast, before she committed massacre by putting a biro pen into a Bunsen Burner and gassing the entire building to death. Taz flew at the door, pushing the handle down and throwing herself forwards at the same time so she almost ended up sprawled all over the floor.

"WE NEED TO TALK. RIGHT NO- _WHAT THE HOLY FUCK ARE JOU DOING_?" Up and Rowan broke apart quicker than lightning, Rowan's hands untangling themselves from Up's hair as she shot to the other side of the sofa and promptly turned her attention to the floor. She didn't dare look up.

Up bit his lip nervously, flapping his arms around as he straightened out his t-shirt, noticed the stains on it from where he'd spilt his beer down himself, and wrinkled it back up again, a blush growing on his cheeks.

Taz nearly screamed. "FINE THEN, JOU CARRY ON AS JOU WERE," she yelled, storming over to the coffee table and snatching up the four empty bottles of beer, storming over to the bin and throwing them into it so hard that they smashed, along with all the other empty bottles that were already there, and storming back towards the door.

"Taz!" Up called, attempting to stand up, and ending up managing it halfway, but then falling straight back down again with a soft thud.

Taz rolled her eyes at him. "It's fine, don't bother. I'll just go talk to someone else," she said coldly. She left to the site of Up flapping like a fish in an attempt to stand up again.

* * *

><p>Up reached Taz's room just after she slammed the door behind her. He heard another slam just as he opened the front door and immediately walked over to the only shut door of the three along the wall.<p>

"She's mad at you, I wouldn't yet," Kaitlin called from the sofa without looking away from her laptop. Up ignored her, partly because he was slightly too preoccupied by walking in a straight line and wasn't really concentrating on what she had said, and partly because he didn't really care. Taz was sat on the bed next to the window, looking out into the sky, her knees under her chin. Up walked over slowly, making sure that he didn't fall over and embarrass himself even more and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What's the matter?" he asked softly and slowly, trying not to slur. Slurring was not good in this situation.

"Shouldn't jou be back in jour room with Rowan?" Taz asked. Her voice was cold.

"I think I should be right where I am," Up replied, flopping onto his front beside Taz. After a second he decided that probably wasn't the best position for him to be in and sat up, shuffled onto her bed and put his arm around Taz's waist. After a couple of seconds of complete silence and scowling out of the window she relaxed and leaned onto him. Up didn't say anything for about five minutes.

"You still angry at me?" he whispered after Taz's breathing was back to normal and she was fully relaxed. Taz nodded. "Are you going to tell me why you were so wound up?"

"No," she muttered.

"Please?" he whined.

"No."

"Why are you angry that I was kissing Rowan?"

"I'm not, really. Jou're drunk."

"You're angry because I'm drunk?" Up asked, giggling slightly.

"No. I'm not angry. I'm just in shock."

"You want a blanket?" he asked, grabbing a pillow from the top of Taz's bed and putting it on her knee.

"Dat's a pillow."

"I know. Are you going to tell me what happened now?"

"I think I broke Jake's nose," Taz admitted.

"Why?" Up asked, putting his chin on Taz's shoulder.

"It doesn't matter."

"It does."

"Doesn't."

"Does," Up said, pouting at her with a sulky expression. He flopped back onto the bed, pulling Taz with him so she was leaning on his chest. Taz smirked slightly. "Tell me."

"He kind of...kissed me." Up couldn't help but giggle. "It's not funny!" Taz cried, punching his arm. Up chuckled at her glare and stared her down with that dreamy look he always got in his eyes when he'd been drinking, and eventually Taz's glare shrank into a smirk.

"He got what was coming to him," Up said, nodding and closing his eyes sleepily. "No one kisses Taz without her permission."

Taz grinned down at him, waited three seconds and then lay down beside him, knowing that he was already asleep.

_A/N: _Hey dudes, I hoped you like this chapter. Um. Things will all be explained soon, and we will actually get back to the whole mission thing. But for now, can anyone tell me the Sherlock quote? I will actually applaud you and love you forever.  
>Oh, and I love HG2G, don't panic.<p> 


	7. The Fake

_A/N: _This has taken me so long to update! I'm so sorry! I had a lot of coursework, then I was ill, then there was the hunger games, then there was more coursework, then there was my friends dress up birthday party (I dressed as Irene Adler;) Lol, jk, I went as a pirate.)

Anyway…SHOCK HORROR! THERE'S PLOT IN THIS ONE! I apologise for the lack of plot in recent chapters, they are relevant to the story, just not at this point…

Song of the chapter: Eyes open- Taylor Swift (god, I love the Hunger Games soundtrack. Y NO USED IN MOVIE?)

"_The tricky thing, is yesterday we were just children.  
>Playing soldiers, just pretending, dreaming dreams with happy endings<br>In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords. But now we've stepped into a cruel world.  
>Where everybody stands and keeps score."<em>

"Human? Is there a reason why you have asked to see me?" the Robot Ambassador questioned, staring at Edd through the screen with eyes so dull that they made the hairs on the back of Edd's neck stand up on end. Edd couldn't bring any words to leave his mouth for a second. "Is it finished?"

"Nearly…sir. But that's not what I wanted to talk about," Edd replied, biting his lip. He'd been biting his lip for hours in preparation for this. There was now a substantial lump on the inside of his mouth.

"Then what is it?" the robot demanded, sounding as close to irritated as Edd guessed a robot could sound.

"It's Matthew and Luz," Edd said. The nerves were gradually travelling up his chest and constricting his airway making it difficult for him to speak with out stammering. He swallowed, trying to make his mouth less dry.

"Who?"

"They're new kids, arrived about a month ago- anyway, whenever they see me-"

"AND YOU DID NOT THINK TO TELL ME OF THIS?" the Robot Ambassador thundered. Edd stepping backwards, banging into the chair behind him and only managing to stay upright by gripping the side of the counter with both hands.

"I didn't think it was import-"

"OF COURSE IT WAS IMPORTANT! Puny human!" the Robot Ambassador yelled.

"Who are they?" Edd asked.

"I do not know. We must find out."

Edd didn't like the sound of this. He didn't want to get Luz and Matthew in trouble. They hadn't done anything wrong. Had they? "How?" he asked, hoping that the robot ambassador wasn't thinking of anything too…sinister.

"You must capture them, human."

"How?" Edd asked again.

"Do not ask so many questions." Edd fell silent, looking down at the floor and wiggling his feet against the metal. "Are they allies of yours?"

"You mean friends?"

"Yes, whatever."

"Yeah, they're friends," Edd agreed.

"We need something to lure them down," the Robot Ambassador decided.

"How?"

"BE QUIET!" Edd nearly fell over again. "We need someone else that would lure them down, even if they knew it was a trap. Someone to play hostage."

"Jake," Edd said immediately. He clapped his hand over his mouth, expecting to be yelled at again, but when no yell came he continued, "Luz will come after him. Definitely. But failing that Kaitlin and Sara."

"Who are these humans?"

"Kaitlin and Sara are Luz's roommates. Jake is their best friend here, I think."

"And these will work as hostages?" the Robot Ambassador asked. Edd paused, feeling suddenly horrified that he was a split second away from agreeing to kidnap some of his best friends, putting them in danger. Edd shoved the thought back. He had to do this. It was the only way.

"Yes," Edd agreed. "They'll work."

* * *

><p>Kaitlin was trying to work out who the traitor was. She'd been trying to figure it out since the very moment Taz had told her there was a traitor. She'd sat for hours that very same day, with her head against the back of the sofa, her eyes focused on the ceiling, thinking all the possibilities through.<p>

She'd done this a number of times now, and she had discussed it with Sara, and over the time she had decided that maybe gossiping and rumour spreading did come in useful after all. It meant that she knew almost everything about everybody, and also knew whether it was actually true. It made the whole thing a whole lot easier.

And now she realised there was really only one option.

She sat up immediately, her head leaving her pillow and her entire body shooting upwards. She thought for a second, making sure there was no other answer. She was right, she knew it. It had to be.

Kaitlin scrambled off her bed; nearly tripping over her own feet as she tried to cross her room to the door before her feet had even touched the floor. She didn't even think, she only walked. If she had stopped for a moment, she probably would have realised she actually didn't want to know as much as she thought she did, and that really, knowing these things was overrated. Especially when it meant the traitor was one of your friends.

"Sara!" she cried, looking around the kitchen for her roommate. Her best friend wasn't around, she already knew. She just wanted to be sure.

Kaitlin walked into the front room.

Curled up on the sofa with her feet tucked under her legs and her head delved inside yet another fantasy fiction novel, was Taz. "Taz!" Taz looked up, hearing her name, rather than her roommates. She didn't say anything as Kaitlin crossed the room, watching her roommate carefully as she collapsed onto the sofa beside her.

They stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time.

Kaitlin waited for Taz to say something. Taz waited for Kaitlin.

"It's Jake, isn't it?" Kaitlin demanded. She said it all in one rush of breath, and it was hard for Taz to decipher what she'd said for a second. Taz blinked. "_Isn't it_? I'm right, aren't I?"

"Um…no."

Kaitlin stared at her, taking in the look on her face. "You're kidding. Right? You're just lying because you're not allowed to tell me."

"Nope," Taz replied. "It's not Jake."

Kaitlin through herself back against the sofa with an exasperated growl. She put her hands on her temples, rubbing them like people do when they're trying to get themselves to think. She spared half a second of thought to wonder why people actually did that; it helped though process in no way. "Omg, who is it?"

"If jou promise never to say dat again, I'll tell jou."

"Deal- wait, what word?"

"Omg."

"Why?" Kaitlin questioned, frowning at Taz. The girl confused her sometimes.

"I don't do 'omg,'" Taz said.

Kaitlin stared at her for a while. "…Right…Okay…Deal…" There was a pause, both people waiting for the other to say something. Kaitlin didn't know she was meant to say anything else and Taz was waiting for just the right time to share the news, to create the biggest impression. She was bored, a freaking out Kaitlin would at least give her a temporary amount of amusement. "So, who i-"

"Edd."

"-s it?- wait, _what_?" Kaitlin's body shot forwards with such speed that she almost toppled over onto the floor and had to quickly steady herself using the coffee table.

"Edd," Taz repeated, looking back at her book like the whole situation was no big deal, while secretly watching out of the corner of her eye for Kaitlin's reaction.

Kaitlin sat back in the sofa and put her hands on either side of her face. She sat up, crossed her legs, uncrossed her legs, leaned on her hands, let her whole body flop so that her head was rested on her knees and her hands were against the floor. She sat up again. She stared at Taz. She shook her head, she nodded her head. She looked at the floor. She flung herself back into the sofa, flapping her arms around and trying to process the information sensibly. She looked far from sensible.

"Are you serious?" she asked, pausing mid-flap and glancing at Taz. Taz looked at her out of the corner of her eye and nodded slightly. Kaitlin let her hands drop onto the sofa.

"It's really Edd?" Kaitlin asked, staring at Taz with trepidation.

"It's really Edd."

"How do you know?" Kaitlin questioned, still looking unsure. Taz decided this was going to be hard for Kaitlin to get her head around at first. It's not exactly something you can just instantly understand. Edd was one of her friends, suddenly being given the news that he's a traitor that's working for robots who are trying to kill every human being on earth can't exactly be easy.

"I saw him talking to the robot ambassador," Taz replied. "He's been designing them a new robot, according to the meeting I watched he's pretty damn close to finishing it."

"He's making a robot?" Kaitlin asked. Taz restrained herself from answering, deciding that Kaitlin was only talking to herself. "A _robot_?" She sounded so disbelieving, so in denial about the whole thing that she couldn't help but question it aloud.

Kaitlin swallowed. "What will happen to him when you arrest him?" she asked. She had moved to the next stage, Taz noticed. Unrequited loyalty. Kaitlin had known Edd for a long time, it wasn't surprising that even after all she now knew he'd done, she still didn't want him to get into too much trouble.

"There are a few options," Taz responded, carefully choosing what to say as she spoke slowly. "Whatever the sentence there will definitely be an instant questioning about the robot ambassador and the workings of the robot empire, and then the most probably sentence will be life imprisonment."

Kaitlin's face suddenly turned a deathly colour of white. Maybe that hadn't been the best probability for Taz to mention. She should have stuck with 15 years, but then she'd only ever seen one traitor be let off that lightly, and he hadn't done anything near as bad as Edd.

"Oh," was all the Kaitlin managed to utter from her mouth.

"Are...are jou okay?" Taz asked, awkwardly putting her hand on Kaitlin's shoulder.

"Yeah," Kaitlin said, far to quickly. The pair exchanged a look. "Ish." She paused. "I think I need to go for a walk..."

"Okay," Taz said. She hadn't been planning on joining Kaitlin and forcing her company upon her, but the look on Kaitlin's face would have deterred if she had been planning too. "Jou're going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Kaitlin said again, much slower and more believable this time. "I'll be fine."

"Just make sure when jou see him jou don't let him know jou know," Taz warned.

"Why not?" Kaitlin asked.

"Just don't." Taz avoided the question.

"Taz?" Taz looked up to where Kaitlin was now standing above her, a questioning expression on her face above all the worry and pain. "Would he kill me?"

Taz knew she knew. She knew that allowing him to see through would endanger her life more than jumping out of aeroplane with a potentially faulty parachute would. Taz didn't want to tell her. She nodded never the less. She already knew.

"Not personally," Taz said, like that made it any better. "He'd get someone else to do it for him."

"How reassuring," Kaitlin commented. The comment was sarcastic, but in an oddly good-natured way. Taz knew Kaitlin was doing it for her benefit, she knew how she hated having to have these conversations. Kaitlin gave her a little smile and walked away.

* * *

><p>Kaitlin had been walked for about quarter of an hour. She was walking through the main corridors, not really paying attention to what was going on around her and walking straight ahead, allowing everyone else to move out of her way, rather than the other way around. She hadn't been planning to speak to anyone, choosing instead to think about the news she had just been given, and wonder…<p>

But then she saw Sara, and Jake, with Edd.

She'd stopped on the spot, unable to bring her legs to move in any direction, every bone in her body fighting against each other. Half wanted to run back to her room, shrieking, half wanted to walk forwards, at least attempting to do what Taz had said. Act _natural_, not _suspicious_.

"Kaitlin, hi!" Edd called to her, a huge grin plastered onto his chubby face. It was fake; Kaitlin could see it from a mile away. Edd's smile always looked fake…she was only now finding out why.

She stood for one second too long before she smiled back, she could tell from the doubt that flickered in Edd's eyes. But he hid it well; only she saw it as she forced herself to walk forwards, each step becoming more difficult. "Hi, Edd," she responded, trying to sound calm.

Edd knew something. She could see it in his eyes. "I was just going to show Jake and Sara something I've been working on. You want to come?"

He was daring her. He knew she knew, and now he was daring her. Was she going to give herself away by stopping Jake and Sara from going with, probably giving Taz and Up away in the process? Was she going to leave them to go down on their own, and go get help, probably putting them in danger? Or was she going to go to, and wait for Taz and Up to realise something was up and go and find them, while also staying with her friends to make sure they didn't get hurt?

So much for a friend.

"Yeah, sure," she said slowly, refusing to break eye contact with him. It was strange, now. Everything seemed different. He was still the same person that he'd always been, but he'd always been…Edd. Now, she didn't even want to think of him as having a name, let alone that one. The person she was about to follow, he wasn't Edd, and he wasn't her friend. He was a traitor.

And yet she was going to follow him.

* * *

><p>"Have you seen Jake today?" Up asked, strolling through the door of Taz's room without even knocking. He leaped onto the sofa beside her, settling into the material to make himself more comfortable.<p>

"No, why?" Taz asked, looking away from the TV remote to study his expression.

Up didn't look away from the TV screen, currently showing the shopping channel. It was Sara's birthday soon. This was her way of reminding Kaitlin to buy her a present.

"Nothing really, Andi was looking for him, hasn't seen him for ages…and Tony was asking about him as well," Up explained.

Taz frowned slightly. "Oh right," she murmured.

"What?" Up asked immediately. "What was the frown for?"

"Just wondering where he is," Taz replied, shaking her head and leaning against Up's shoulder, poking at the remote buttons without precision or concentration. Up considered confiscating it. "I haven't seen him all day…and thinking about it, I haven't seen Kaitlin or Sara for about three hours. And Kaitlin only said she was going for a walk after..." Taz stopped.

Up frowned. Taz had suddenly looked away, focusing her attention on the TV screen, still on the shopping channel, and completely avoiding looking at Up. There was a tiny flicker of worry in her eyes, mixed with an even smaller hint of panic. Up knew that look straight away.

"Taz…?"

"Yes?" Taz glanced at him for half a second, then immediately looked away. She internally cursed him.

"Have you said something to Kaitlin?" Up asked.

"No!" Up didn't believe her. He grabbed her wrist and snatched the remote control from her hand, hiding it behind his back. "Give me the remote."

"No."

"Give me the remote!" She slapped him in the face.

"Ow." Taz hid her smirk, her hand still held out. He gave her the remote. "Now stop it. This is serious, Taz!" Up said firmly. "Did you say something to Kaitlin about Edd?"

"No," Taz repeated, folding her arms and pulling a sulky expression.

"Taz," Up said warningly. "Be serious. Or I swear to Dead-God I'm going to get Cal to get this out of you."

"If jou dare get Cal I am going to chop jour ear off," Taz growled.

"What have you told her?" Taz didn't reply. "Did you tell her it was Edd?"

"Maybe."

"_Taz_!"

"She was trying to guess and stressing herself out. She was going to find out eventually anyway!" Taz protested.

"No she wasn't!"

"What, so we were going to somehow sneak Edd out of the school when we catch him? Without him being seen?"

"A helicopter is coming to pick us up."

"And dat's not the least bit noticeable."

Up glared at her. "Shut up." Taz shut up. They didn't say anything for a while, sitting in silence and thinking. "Do you think we should go look for them?"

"Why?" Taz asked, frowning at Up.

"Well, no one has seen any of them for hours, Kaitlin knows about Edd, Edd probably knows about us and Kaitlin's…"

"An _idiota_?"

"Yeah…that." They both smirked. "We should go and look for them."

"But I don't want to," Taz grumbled, positioning herself on the sofa with her head on Up's lap so he was unable to move. He sighed and glared down at her, only to be grinned at.

"Taz."

Taz sighed dramatically. "Fine." She rolled himself off her lap. "Get off jour backside den. We're going saving my _estupido _roommates from their own _estupidez_."

* * *

><p>"Sara," Kaitlin whispered, nudging Sara's arm with her shoulder, careful to cause the least amount of noise and movement that she could.<p>

They were headed down a bunch of corridors that Kaitlin hadn't seen for years. She never walked around this area of the school, which was probably exactly why Edd had picked it. It was perfect. It was also freaking creepy.

"What?" Sara asked, louder that Kaitlin. Kaitlin resisted the temptation to slap her friend. It would have been pointless anyway, she didn't understand. Edd looked round at the sound of Sara's voice, his gaze falling on Kaitlin. She wanted to curse the world and it's mother, scream at the sky and magical gain the power to wield a sword and slice Edd's head off.

Unfortunately God was dead and things like that didn't happen anymore, so she just stared back at him. When he finally looked away Kaitlin decided she would be eternally grateful that her limbs had decided not to cause any life threatening falls up until now, by this point she had expected to fall over at least ten times. But this was not a good time to trip over her own feet and fall flat on her face. That could be saved for later. Maybe for falling on Taz while shrieking, that seemed like a pretty good plan. Kaitlin really wanted to shriek.

"What?" Sara asked again. Kaitlin looked to her left and found Sara was staring at her with a questioning look in her eyes. Edd's eyes were on them again.

Kaitlin shrugged. "I was just going to point out one of walls, there was some really cool graffiti on it…"

Sara nodded her head slightly, looking uninterested. Kaitlin swallowed and glanced at Edd. He smiled and looked away. Kaitlin decided that smile was going to haunt her forever.

"Hey, Edd, where are we going?" Sara asked suddenly.

"I told you, I want to show you guys something," Edd replied. He replied too quickly, Kaitlin decided. He was rushing his words, like it was something he wanted to get out of his mouth as quick as he could, so he didn't have to think about it for longer than he needed to.

"So…what are you showing us?"

Edd turned his head and smiled at Sara. Kaitlin couldn't help but the notice the grin that immediately sprung up on Sara's face. She looked away; she couldn't bear to think what would happen when Sara found out.

"Well, you know when I've been going to extra classes?" Edd asked, stopping and waiting for Sara to reach him.

"Yeah?"

Edd smirked. "Well, I haven't really been going to extra classes?"

"Where've you been going?" Sara questioned, still grinning.

"I've been working on something," Edd replied. "That's what I want to show you!"

"Well, whatever it is, we're going to have to start walking or we're never going to get to see it," Jake said, coming up behind them both and flinging his arms around their shoulders, turning round and pulling them around with him. "What is it anyway?" he asked, as they walked off down the corridor.

"Oh, just something."

This was Kaitlin's chance. She could walk away. Go find Taz. Go find Up. She could get away and never end up in whatever situation she was about to put herself in, probably endangering her life. But she wasn't the only one in danger. With one last look behind her at the corridor, she followed them.

_A/N: _K, guys hope you liked that! :D Falconflight, I think you know what's going to happen next. You did request.

Also, someone follow me on twitter. It's a new account (sort of), basically I've only just started using it and I have no followers. *sad face* Someone follow me?

The user name is zzooeex

Thank you. And I promise the next chapter will be up sooner than the last one took!

p.s. My document names on the doc manager are becoming more and more creative. So far we have: pizza, chicken, attack, ferret, webcam, head, fart and elephant. This one is fondly named: penis.


	8. Hostage

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Taz, Up or Cal!

_A/N: _I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! After yet another fairly long time! But I have promised I will be productive this weekend and you will get another chapter on Sunday/Monday!

This chapter is dedicated to my son Junior (who HAS been sending love letters to Up, Taz, Krayonder, The Overqueen and Tootsie, despite all of his lies), and my girlfriend, Cho and Taz, who is my daughter by ex-wife and apparently also dating my son (awkwaaaaaaaaaard). I love you guys!

Song of the chapter: Bending the Rules and Breaking the Law- Brantley Gilbert

"_Growing up I was always mama's angel, never thought I'd ever fall from grace.  
>I was taught to walk with God and run from trouble, but I ran with a crowd that was bound to change my ways.<br>Yeah I was proud to be in the bad news crowd, the one my mama warned me about.  
>The closest thing to hell she's ever raised."<em>

Kaitlin was scared. There was no other way to explain the pounding feeling in her chest that seemed to be growing stronger and more painful with each step she took. It was there, in the back of her mind, forcing itself forwards again and again, trying as hard as it could to make her run away. But she couldn't; she _wouldn't_.

Sara was beginning to notice something was wrong, Kaitlin knew. She kept looking back and watching her with concerned eyes, debating whether to ask. Sara wasn't stupid, after all. She knew something was up with her best friend, despite Kaitlin's best attempts to hide it.

"Are you okay?" Sara asked, eventually giving into temptation and falling into line with Kaitlin, leaning closer to her ear so only Kaitlin could hear. She whispered the sentence, and there was a sense of worry in her voice, and Kaitlin knew her friend was beginning to suspect. Sara's gaze flickered to Edd, and back to Kaitlin, her eyes now filled with suspicion…and pain.

"Yeah," Kaitlin replied, nodding and giving Sara what she knew was a weak attempt at a smile. "I'm fine."

Sara watched her for a second, then stopped, gripping Kaitlin's sleeve and forcing her to stop too. She glanced at Jake and Edd in front, watching in case they turned around and saw them. The two men continued down the corridor oblivious.

Sara turned and looked at her best friend. Her head was tilted down, her eyes big and inquiring. "Seriously, what's wrong?" she demanded, keeping hold of Kaitlin's sleeve so she couldn't escape.

"Nothing," Kaitlin insisted. She didn't really know why she was still hiding it, like ignorance would make the danger less real, like if only she knew then only she would get punished. It was bullshit, but it was insurance for her.

"Kaitlin," Sara said, shaking her friend's sleeve, her expression annoyed. "Tell me, _right now_! I know something's wrong…" She paused, glancing down the corridor, making sure the guys were still walking. "…Is it something to do Matt and Luz's mission?"

Sara couldn't get the hang of calling Taz and Up by their real names, she just automatically called them by their undercover names, like she didn't really want to believe any of it was happening. Kaitlin couldn't deny she was doing basically the same thing. Kaitlin nodded slightly, not knowing what else to do. Sara wasn't the type to give in, and this had taken far too long already.

"Tell me," Sara said firmly, her grip on Kaitlin's sleeve tightening, preparing herself. Kaitlin didn't say anything and Sara scowled. "Is it Edd?" she questioned, her grip tightening again. She shook Kaitlin's arm slightly. "_Is it Edd_?"

"Yeah," Kaitlin said, too quickly. Sara gripped Kaitlin's sleeve so slightly Kaitlin was almost worried it would rip, her eyes hurt.

"Really?" she asked. Kaitlin said nothing. "_Really_?"

"Yes, really," Kaitlin agreed, looking at the floor. "Taz told me."

Sara took a deep breath, letting go of Kaitlin's sleeve and letting her still clenched fist fall to her side. She wouldn't catch Kaitlin's gaze, looking everywhere but at her friend.

* * *

><p>"We should go," she said eventually. The words came out so softly that Kaitlin couldn't be sure she'd even heard her right until their eyes finally met and Kaitlin could see Sara's intentions as clear as day. Kaitlin shook her head; unable to believe Sara was even suggesting this, <em>out loud<em>. "We can't go with him," she said, shaking her head minisculely. "We might end up _dead_."

"What about Jake?" Kaitlin asked, her voice calm and firm. "We can't leave him."

"He'll be fine!" Sara protested, reaching up slightly to grab Kaitlin's sleeve again. Kaitlin moved her arm out of Sara's reach.

"He won't be _fine_, Sara. He'll be dead!" Kaitlin cried in a hushed tone.

"So will we," her friend protested.

She looked scared, her eyes big and shiny, like she was some kind of defenceless animal that didn't understand what was going on. But Kaitlin knew better than that. Sara was selfish, she always had been; but Kaitlin looked past it because she had been a good friend, and she was trustworthy- most of the time- and she was funny, and lovely, and they'd been through a lot together. But Kaitlin wasn't going to look past it this time. Not in this situation, not with one of her friends in serious danger.

"Whatever, Sara," she muttered, shaking her head. Sara stared at her, her eyes pleading. She looked like she was only a few seconds from bursting into tears. "Go, if you want." She gestured back up the corridor. "I'm not going to stop you. But that'll arouse suspicion, and then you'll be in bigger danger, and you'll put me and Jake in bigger danger."

"Why don't you come with me then?" Sara cried.

"I'm not leaving Jake," Kaitlin reminded her.

* * *

><p>"Is something wrong?"<p>

Both girls turned their heads to look at Edd, who was watching them suspiciously, his eyes narrowed. Kaitlin looked back at Sara for a second; and Sara gave her another pleading look, begging her to leave now, to run away and leave Jake alone with the traitor.

For a second, Kaitlin considered agreeing; nodding her head. She considered turning on the stop and running away as fast as she could away from Edd, and away from Jake, and not stopping until she was out of the gates and calling a cab. She swallowed the feeling back.

"No, nothing," Kaitlin said. "Sara's just remembered she's got an English catch up session on, because she missed all those lessons for her art exam."

Kaitlin couldn't bring herself to look back at Sara, instead choosing to stay staring at Edd. At least she knew where she stood with Edd. He was a traitor, that was all there was to it.

"Do you need to go?" Edd asked, looking at Sara. Kaitlin saw Sara nod out of the corner of her eye. "Can't you stay? You'll only be a little late."

"I'm already late," Sara replied, her voice shaking slightly. "I've got to go."

Sara never got the chance to turn away.

Edd was upon her in a second, his fingers tightening in a firm grip around her wrist, keeping her still, his eyes blazing with this look of fury that no one would have ever guessed the boy possessed. Sara's eyes were quickly filling with terror, and she pulled away from Edd with all her might, attempting to yank her wrist from his grasp. Unsurprisingly she wasn't strong enough. Edd pulled her forwards again, further down the corridor.

"You aren't going anywhere," he whispered, giving up all pretence of being nice. His voice was quiet and venomous, his eyes shining and the dim light of the corridor making his eyes look red, and his already ginger hair look like fire. He suddenly reminded Sara of a snake. A rather chubby snake.

Sara tilted her head up, trying at a least _look _brave. "I've got to go," she replied, trying to stop her voice from shaking too much.

"As I just said, you're not going anywhere," Edd repeated.

"Let her go," Kaitlin said, butting in between the two. She hadn't mean to sound angry, but her fury got the better of her and the sentence came out like a growl, far too threatening for anyone to not notice something was wrong.

Edd gave a one sided smirk. "You two know, don't you?" Neither girl said anything; for fear that any words that came out their mouth would almost certainly give them away. "Was it Luz and Matthew that told you?"

There was a pause, where silence filled the air like a fog.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kaitlin replied. She sounded relieved- relieved that Edd didn't know Luz and Matthew's true identities-, which in turn sounded fairly convincing.

"How do you know?" Edd demanded, suddenly sounding ever so slightly worried. Kaitlin didn't reply. Edd let go of Sara and made a grab at Kaitlin. Kaitlin sidestepped and back away up the corridor towards Jake, who was looking both confused and scared.

"Kait, what's going on?" Jake asked, reaching out and grabbed her wrist.

Out of sheer panic Kaitlin pulled her wrist free again, before swallowing down her fear and squeezing Jake's hand for half a second.

"I'm sure you'll find out soon," she replied. "…sorry."

"What for?" Jake questioned. "Kaitlin, _what for_?"

"How do you know?" Edd demanded again, turning back to look at Kaitlin. "_Tell me how you know_!"

Kaitlin opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Edd growled with fury, and out nowhere produced a gun. Kaitlin covered her mouth to catch the shriek that forced itself out of her throat as Edd leapt over to Sara and in the space of one second had her arms behind her back, trapped, with the gun pressed to her temple.

Sara froze. Completely. Her entire body went rigid, like staying totally still would at all deter the gun from shooting. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she stared at Kaitlin and despite her best attempts to stop them a few spilled over onto her cheeks, creating tracks down her otherwise emotionally masked face.

"_Dude, what the hell_?" Jake yelled, flapping his arms around in a panic, his eyes searching around for someone to explain to him what was going on. No one did.

"TELL ME HOW YOU KNOW!" Edd bellowed.

"_Let her go_!" Kaitlin cried, unable to stop herself from stepping forwards. Edd pressed the gun further into Sara's temple and Sara yelped loudly, yet more tears streaming down her face. Kaitlin stopped dead, holding her hands up in a sort of surrender. Her ears were ringing, her heart beating so loud that it was almost drowning out every other sound in the room.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?" Edd yelled.

"Don't hurt her," Kaitlin said, unable to think of anything but that her best friend had a gun pressed against her head and was one finger movement away from death.

"I will hurt her, IF YOU DON'T TELL ME!" Edd shoved the gun against Sara's head again and Sara nearly fell over, a scream of terror erupting from her mouth. Kaitlin clapped her hands to her mouth, tears in her eyes and her heart in her throat.

"EDD, STOP IT!" Jake yelled, desperately. "LET HER GO!"

Edd pulled a menacing expression and Kaitlin swore she saw him flex his finger.

"LUZ, MATTHEW!" she shrieked, unable to control it any longer. Edd watched her for a second, trying to work out whether she was telling the truth. Kaitlin swallowed, blinking back her tears. "Now let her go," she pleaded, guilt evident in her voice. "Please."

"No," Edd said. "You're coming with me, all of you."

* * *

><p>Kaitlin stuttered for a second, wanting to form some kind of sense out of all the words running through her head. She'd just basically given Taz and Up over, and for what? She watched as Edd made his way forwards, the gun still firmly against Sara's head. As they past Kaitlin made a slight grab for Edd.<p>

"Edd, please!" she cried, staring her ex-friend in the eye. The boy glared at her and shoved her away with his shoulder, not even bothering to stop moving.

Jake stepped forwards and caught Kaitlin as she stumbled, his fingers clasping her shoulders tightly. She turned and looked at him and he gave her what he wanted to be a reassuring smile. She gave him one back that was equally not reassuring.

"Come on," Jake murmured, squeezing Kaitlin's hand slightly and pulling her along the corridor after Edd and Sara.

"Jake, what do we do?"

"Sh," Jake replied softly, calming her down.

"I can't believe I- oh my god, Jake. What about Ta- Luz and Matthew? I just- oh my god, I just-"

Jake pulled her closer to him for a second, wrapping an arm reassuringly around her shoulders. "Shush, don't worry. They'll come," he whispered in her ear.

"That's what I'm worried about," she murmured back.

"They'll be fine," Jake replied.

"How do you know?" Kaitlin whispered. "How do you even know they're going to come?" Jake glanced at her and smiled, a strange little smile that curved on only one side of his mouth. His eyes glinted with mischief as he slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He looked out in front to where Edd and Sara were walking, before clicking the screen on his phone and turning it around and showing Kaitlin the text that was still on the screen.

Hey, fancy coming saving us? Sara has a gun next to her head; we're being held hostage and Edd's ranting about you and Matt. Help? Thanks, J xx

"Jake, do you even understand what's going on?"

"Nope. Haven't got the faintest." Kaitlin opened her mouth, as though she was about to explain, but Jake cut her off. "But I'm sure I'll work it out eventually."

* * *

><p>"Edd, this is probably going to sound weird. But are you going to kill us?" Jake asked as he followed his ex-friend and his hostage into the science lab. He glanced around, startled to see that though no one used this part of the building anymore lots of equipment was set out, and different Bunsen Burners were burning under different test tubes and different wire were wrapped around different magnets which were connected to different power-packs at different frequencies. Jake had to admit that Edd had been busy.<p>

"I might," Edd replied without looking back. He shoved Sara forwards towards one of the lab stools and waited as she sat down before positioning himself behind her, the gun still pointed at her head.

"When?" Jake asked. Edd stared at him. "Just wondering, want at least a little bit of pre-warning." He had a strangely confident expression on his face, and he looked almost calm with this entire situation.

"Jake, what are you doing?" Kaitlin muttered beside him.

"Just trying to make conversation," Jake replied. He turned his body slightly and looked at Kaitlin, the look in his eyes confirmed her suspicion that when he said 'conversation' he wasn't talking about a chat about the weather.

"You're not going to get anything out of me," Edd said, his voice amused.

"Who said I was trying to?" Jake asked. "Maybe I really do just want to make conversation."

"Unlikely."

No one said anything for a while, and the only thing audible to anyone in the room was their own heartbeats the other people's breathing and occasional quiet sobs from Sara's direction.

"What are we doing here?" Kaitlin eventually asked.

"Waiting for you friends to arrive," was Edd's reply.

"By friends I'm guessing you mean Matthew and Luz?" Kaitlin questioned, trying to look more confident than she felt. She couldn't give their real identities away.

"There are others?" Edd asked, noticing Kaitlin's nerves but not understanding fully the reason for them. Kaitlin didn't reply. Maybe having him think they had another source of back up wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"You do realise we could just walk out of here right now?" Jake asked, breaking yet another long silence.  
>Edd didn't say anything for a second, contemplating what Jake had said. "But you won't," he eventually replied.<p>

"And why wouldn't I?" Jake questioned, folding his arms.

Edd moved his hand very slightly, just enough to turn both Kaitlin and Jake's attentions to Sara. "Do you want her dead?"

That certainly shut Jake up.

* * *

><p>"CAL, GET JOUR LAZY BUTT OUT OF BED OR I SWEAR TO DEAD GOD I WILL STAB JOU IN DE FACE!"<p>

Cal opened his eyes slowly, taking a few seconds to actually focus on what was going on above him. He blinked and immediately freaked out. "HOLY SHIT!" His eyes widened, suddenly bulging out of their sockets in his terror. The panic set in and he rolled over so fast that he fell of the edge of the bed, landing on the floor with a loud bang and a volley of cursing. "WHAT THE FUCK? WHY WOULD DO THAT TO ME?"

"Taz?" Up called from outside the room. He appeared seconds later at the door to Cal's room.

"OI!" Taz cried. "You're meant to be telling the ambassador what's going on!"

"_I was_! Up until I heard you and Cal screaming at each other! I told you to wake him up! _Not threaten him with a freaking knife_!"

"HE WASN'T WAKING UP!"

"_Did you even TRY_?" Up demanded.

"Uh, well- I, uh- um- no bu-"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Cal's voice erupted from the floor beside the bed and both Up and Taz turned their heads to look at him.

"WHY AREN'T JOU OFF JOUR ASS YET?" Taz yelled, turning her entire body round and raising her knife.

Up jumped forwards immediately and grabbed Taz's wrist, turning her round to face him, quickly dodging the knife aimed at his head. "Taz, I know you're worried, and I know you want to hurry up, but please don't try and stab your Commander." He watched her furious expression for a second. "And please don't stab me either."

"Am I going to get told what's going on or what?" Cal demanded, pouting with annoyance. "I was having a nap."

"It's three in the afternoon, who has a bloody nap at _this _time?" Taz demanded.

"I DO!" Cal yelled.

"_I _do," Up reminded her, scowling.

"Yeah, but jou don't count," Taz said. "Jou're just tired."

"What do you think I am?" Cal demanded, his arms folded. "A five-year-old on a sugar rush?"

"No, uh- oh shut up we're going to be too late!" Taz cried. "Please get up, Cal. I'll explain on the way."

Cal stared at Taz for a few seconds, looking at the obvious annoyance in her eyes, mainly targeted at herself for getting sidetracked. He sighed, nodding slightly and using the side of the bed and the bedside table to pull himself up to standing position.

Taz looked at him gratefully and looked at Up. "Go tell the Ambassador." Up stared at her. "GO!" She poked him with the knife lightly and he yelped and ran out of the door with his hands held up in surrender. Taz followed, putting the knife back in her pocket as she walked.

"How have you not been caught with that knife?" Cal asked, appearing beside Taz.

"I've only just put it in my pocket," Taz explained.

Cal shrugged, accepting that as the only explanation he was going to get. "So, you going to explain what's going on?"

"Jake, Sara and Kaitlin have been taken hostage by Edd," Taz said.

"How do you know?" Cal asked. "Did you see them being taken, or are you just guessing?"

"Jake texted me and told me," Taz replied.

"Oh…wait- you have a _phone_?" Cal demanded, turning to Taz with shock.

Taz looked over at Cal, frowning slightly at his confusion. "Yes, they gave it to me for this mission. Why?"

Cal shook his head. "No reason." Cal said. "So I'm guessing I'm being forced to save these people then?"

"Yes."

Cal sighed. "Ugh, what a bore. Can't we just let them die and get Edd later?" Taz looked at him, a glare forming. "_What_?"

"I still have dat knife jou know."

"Oh, _fine_! I'll help save them!" Cal cried dramatically, walking faster and taking over Taz with his longer strides. "I should paid more for this," he muttered to himself. "I don't recall having to save people's friends being in the job description."

"Cal, I swear to dead god I'm going to murder jou if jou don't stop mumbling to jourself!"

"I'm not mumbling!"

"GUYS, DO YOU WANT TO SAVE KAITLIN, SARA AND JAKE OR STAND AROUND ARGUING?" Up yelled, appearing in front of the door holding two zappers in his hands, a third slung over his shoulder.

"Is standing around arguing an option?" Cal questioned. Taz glared at him, before walking towards Up, shoving Cal into the side of the sofa angrily as she past him. "SENIOR OFFICER, TAZ! SENIOR OFFICER!"

"OH SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET A GUN!"

_A/N: _I hope you enjoyed this. There will be a new chapter soon. Sunday/Monday like I said. I WILL BE PRODUCTIVE!


	9. Human!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own them.

_A/N: _Dudes, I'm on a ROLL! This is quite long. It's actually very long, I think. Well, I'm sure you won't mind…AND IT'S MONDAY! I SUCCEEDED! You should all be _very _impressed with me because I didn't actually think I was going to succeed…:)

Song of the chapter: On the Wing- Owl City (obviously, more the sound than the lyrics because the lyrics don't make any freaking sense:P)  
>"<em>My darling, we're both on the wing, look down and keep on singing, and we can go anywhere.<br>Are you there? Are you there? Or are you just a decoy dream in my head?  
>Am I home or am I simply tumbling all alone?"<em>

"Taz, I thought you said you knew the way," Up said, trailing after Taz with his feet dragging behind him lazily.

Taz turned to him, scowling. "I do know the way!" she cried.

"Do you really?" Cal questioned. "Which way is it then, genius?"

"It's dat way!" Taz said angrily, pointing down the corridor in which they were currently walking.

"And then I'm guessing it's down that corridor to left, and then the one to the left of that one, and then the one to the left again. Oh, and then look, we're walking in circles." Cal gasped in mock surprise. "What a shock!"

"Shut up, Cal!" Taz yelled. "I know where I'm going!"

"Well yeah," Cal agreed. "You just don't know how to _get there_!"

Up snorted with laughter and Taz looked at him, her eyes filled with fury. "Don't jou _dare_ start laughing, Up! This is serious!"

"Yeah, we know!" Cal cried. "But that doesn't make the fact that you have the memory of a goldfish any less funny!"

"I DO NOT HAVE THE MEMORY OF A-" Taz stopped short of her sentence; she tilted her head slightly as she noticed neither man was looking at her anymore. She raised a confused eyebrow and turned her head round to see what they were looking at. "I told jou I knew where I was going," she muttered. Up made a little noise of agreement. Cal snorted quietly.

"Well, hi!" Edd said from the bottom of the corridor, waving with one hand as he leaned against the wall with a sense of smugness that made Taz's blood boil. "I've been expecting you."

Taz opened her mouth to reply but someone else got there before her.

"Maybe you should come up with your own introductory line instead of using one from some crappy old film," Cal commented, without even looking at Edd and instead staring at his zapper. When he did glance up he found that Taz and Up were both staring at him. Up looked rather impressed and Taz had a weird little smirk on her face that was half annoyed and half amused. "Sorry," Cal said, raising his eyebrow. "Did I steal your thunder?"

Taz tried to glare, failed, and turned away to look at Edd, who was an instant reminder to her face that a glare was very easily achievable.

"Why don't you come in?" Edd asked, nodding his head in the direction of the door beside him. "I'm sure your friends will be glad to see you."

"Funny," Taz said. "They were jour friends less than an hour ago." Edd didn't say anything, watching Taz silently, waiting for her to continue. "Do jou really have it in jou to kill jour friends?"

"They're not my friends," Edd said.

"Like I said, they were an hour ago," Taz replied, walking forwards, making sure her zapper was in full view.

Just as Taz was about to pass through the door Edd muttered in her ear. "They were never my friends, ever."

Taz felt both Up and Cal tense up behind her. She ignored them and turned to look at Edd, their faces nearly touching. Her eyes glinted with hatred as she glared up at him.

"I have a gun," she growled as a reminder.

Edd gave her a smug look. "So do I." He lifted his hand up slightly, his handgun swinging from the middle finger. Taz watched the gun as it swung. It wasn't a model of gun she recognised, meaning that it had probably been designed by the robots for their human allies, namely Edd.

"I guess we're even then."

* * *

><p>Taz brushed past Edd violently, shoving him back against the wall with her shoulder before walking round the corner and into his lab. The lab was much like it had been last time she'd seen it, but today it had a few more people in it than it had previously had.<p>

"Taz!" Kaitlin cried, pulling violently against the chains that kept her bound to the pipe on the far side of the lab. As soon as she'd said it, her eyes widened slightly and a panic stricken expression crossed her face. She glanced behind Taz at where Edd was just following Up and Cal through the door. Edd looked completely oblivious. But Jake wasn't.

"Taz? Why are we saying Ta-"

"SHUT UP!" Kaitlin and Sara screeched at the same time, Kaitlin adding to the effect by kicking Jake in the shit with her heel. Jake yelped in pain and lifted his foot, pressing his leg against the other to relieve the pain.

"What are you three screaming at?" Edd asked, looking at his three prisoners curiously.

"Nothing," Kaitlin replied. "We weren't screaming."

"Why have jou brought us here, Edd?" Taz asked, before Edd even had chance to question Kaitlin. "I'm guessing that's why you've kidnapped your friends-"

"How many times do I have to tell you? They're not my friends."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever- jou kidnapped them because jou knew we'd come to save them?" Taz asked. "Why? Do jou need to speak with us?"

"I suppose you could say that," Edd agreed.

"What do you need to talk to us about?" Cal stood up from where he was leaning against one of the lab counters, and folding his arms.

Edd looked at him. "Who are you?"

"Cal," Cal said. "That'll be Mr Cal to you, though."

"No. Who are you really?" Edd asked again. He looked at Taz, then at Up. "My boss tells me I shouldn't have trusted you two, and now you seem to have confirmed his suspicions."

"Not really a 'he' though is it," Up commented. "That boss of yours."

"Guys, not to be funny or anything, but I really don't get what's going on-"

"Jake, be quiet," Taz said angrily.

"But-"

"_Jake_." Jake sighed and leaned back against the pipe wearily. Taz looked at Edd. "So what are jou planning to now jou've worked out we can't be trusted?" she asked. "Kill us?"

"Potentially," Edd agreed.

Taz sighed, shaking her head. "I hope jou realise how much of a _dick_ jou're being Edd."

"I want to know why he's doing it," Up muttered from behind her.

"Because I have to," Edd replied, sharply turning to look at him.

"What is it this time?" Cal questioned. "Trust me, I've seen it all. They promised you a tonne of money? They promised you a high position in their 'new world'? They kidnapped your family and are threatening to kill them? Or was it a girlfriend? Though I highly doubt it looking at the state of you."

Edd glared back at Cal. "It was none of those things," he growled.

Cal rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, can we just get this over with?" he asked. "You can try and shoot us if you want. Just make this a little more interesting? I've been through all this a million times with a million other traitors and I want to arrest you already."

"Let's just arrest him," Taz decided. She stepped forward, rearranging the strap of her zapper onto her shoulder as she walked towards Edd. A look of anger crossed Edd's face and he lifted his gun, pointing it in Taz's direction. Taz responded by lifted up her gun and giving Edd and look, before continuing to walk forwards with Up and Cal walking to her left. She highly doubted he was going to shoot her anyway.

"Fine then," Edd called, his voice angry. "How about if I shoot that?"

He turned on the spot, and pointed his gun at his prisoners, who were still chained to the pipe. Sara started crying again and Kaitlin looked at her hopelessly, wanting to comfort her but no knowing how to. Taz stopped walking, his gun still pointed at Edd but her feet now refusing to move any closer. Up also stopped, and Cal turned around to look at them like they'd gone insane.

"Don't you dare shoot them," Taz growled.

"I'm not pointing my gun at them," Edd replied, his voice smug.

* * *

><p>Taz stared at him. His words confused her. He was pointing his gun at them; there was nothing else in that area of the room that could be pointing his gun at. Edd smiled at her confusion and she glared at him, following directly the line of his gun. There was nothing there but Kaitlin, the wall behind her, and the pipe she was chained to.<p>

"Oh," Up murmured beside her, and Taz turned to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You're going to gas us all to death."

Edd grinned. "Well at least someone knows their shit." He nodded in the direction of the pipes. "Methane."

"Sorry to burst jour bubble," Taz said. "But methane isn't poisonous."

"No, Taz. It's not," Edd agreed. "But in a small, enclosed room…" Edd looked around him at the lab, which was indeed small, and was indeed enclosed. "…it can displace oxygen and, basically suffocate you."

"We can just walk out of the door," Taz replied. Edd gave Taz an apologetic smile, lifting up the key to the door, and with a little flick of his wrist he threw it behind him. Taz watched as the key sailed into the air, spinning round as it flew, before finally landing into a beaker of clear liquid which at first glance looked completely harmless.

"Oops," Edd said, turning to watch as the key was burned to nothingness by the acid, leaving nothing behind but a pile of metal ash at the bottom of the beaker. "I forgot that was there."

Taz took a deep breath, suddenly becoming very aware of the situation that they were all now it, and realising slowly that there wasn't many ways in which to get out of it. "Where's the robot?" she demanded, deciding that the least she could if she was going to die was to destroy the thing Edd had been so desperate to finish.

Edd feigned innocence. "I'm sorry, what robot is it that you're talking about?"

"Megagirl; dat was its name, right?" Taz said. "Where is it?"

"I don't know what you mean," Edd said again, leaning against the counter. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Taz growled furiously and took a step forward, her anger getting the better of her. Edd immediately pointed his gun towards the pipe again, his expression hard. Up jumped forwards, grabbing Taz's wrist and pulling her back. She cursed loudly and attempted to punch Up in the face. He was too used to her behaviour.

"Oh, don't be a jerk, Edd," Up said, doing his best to calm down the still enraged Taz. "Tell us where the damn thing is and then none of us have to fucking die."

"None of us are going to die if you just agree not to arrest me and let me go free," Edd said, readjusting his hands while still pointing it at the pipe.

Kaitlin stared at the barrel of the gun, unable to believe that there was actually a gun pointing in her direction, when less than an hour ago she hadn't ever seen a gun in real life before. Neither was Kaitlin able to comprehend all the thoughts running through her head. Why wasn't she scared anymore? Why did the thought of suffocating along with all the other people in the room seem so much worse than just getting shot and leaving her friends alive?

"Screw that," Jake said beside her. He laughed coldly, looking away from everyone in the room and instead focusing his gaze on the ceiling. He was shaking his head slightly, an almost defeated expression on his face. "I still don't have a freaking clue what's doing on," he commented. "But I'm already telling you, you can kill me!" Jake caught Taz's eye and gave her a one sided smile. "Let him die in here with us."

Taz looked down, sighing slightly. She wanted to tell him, she wanted the world to suddenly freeze so she could just walk over and explain to him what was going on and why he was being put into this situation. She looked up. That was impossible. There was no way that was going to happen, so there was no point in wishing that he could. Jake gave a reassuring nod of the head and Taz found herself smiling slightly at him. He probably suspected what was going on, and she wanted him to know she was still Luz, even if she wasn't Luz at all.

"Right," Cal said awkwardly. He glanced at Up, who was pointedly looking anywhere in the room apart from at Taz, who was still looking at Jake with fucking stars in her eyes. Cal forced himself not to face palm. The sexual tension was almost unbearable. If he didn't do something soon then it wasn't going to methane that was displacing the oxygen away. "Well," he said and clapped loudly, breaking Taz's gaze away from Jake. "You heard the man, give yourself up or let's get dying!"

* * *

><p>Honestly, not one of the people in the room thought Edd was going to actually kill them all. Even Cal, who had barely known of Edd's existence for half an hour, deemed him to be too weak and too scared to shoot the pipe on the side of the wall. He was Edd. He was <em>Edd<em>. Even after everything that he'd already done, they couldn't imagine him as a killer. He was just Edd, their friend, their _ex_-friend. They wouldn't, they _couldn't _believe that he was actually going to kill them.

Maybe that was the mistake that so many people make when they're faced with death. That denial, that misunderstanding of a person, that hope that a person they know won't have it in them to kill someone. It's stupid, and you always think before it happens that you wouldn't be one to take chances like that, you'd just run away, or you'd shoot them before they could shoot you. But you never really do what you think you'll do. And they never do what you think they'll do either.

The bang was ridiculously loud. The noise rang through their heads for what felt like an eternity. No one moved. They stayed in the same position they were already in, their ears ringing and their brains trying to process what had just happened.

Kaitlin was the first to panic, a scream erupting from her mouth as she pulled against her chains. She started crying, even though she had promised herself in the few seconds before that she wasn't going to. The smell of the gas was filling up her nose and the fear suddenly got the better of her, the realisation that she was the closest, and she was going to be the first to die.

"Kait, stop it!" Sara cried, tears welling up in her eyes as she watched her friend crying, the tears streaming down her face and the look of terror in her eyes. Kaitlin didn't stop it, she couldn't stop it. The tears just kept coming, no matter how many times she tried to fight them back.

Taz glanced at Up, still not fully able to comprehend what was happening, even though she could see Kaitlin crying, and could hear the noise of the gas escaping from the hole in the pipe, and could smell the gas in the air. She should have thought about this. She shouldn't have given Edd a choice. She should have just shot him when she could; back when she was able to when she first found out he was the traitor. She couldn't even remember why she hadn't.

"Why?" she asked, turning to stare at Edd, was had retreated further away from the pipe. "Why would jou want to do this?"

"Because you were going to arrest me," Edd responded.

"Not just killing us," Taz told him. "Why would jou want to work with the robots? Why would jou want to design them a new robot, dat was made specifically to kill humans?" She shook her head. "_Jou're a human_! What makes jou think jou're safe?"

"I'm not safe," Edd said. Taz stared at him, not saying anything. "I've never been safe, you fool. I can't believe your lot don't know yet! It's been happening for years!"

"_What has_?" Taz demanded.

"Why would I want to tell you?" he asked, looking smug.

"We're going to fucking die; you might as well enlighten us!" Cal yelled, coughing slightly. Taz turned at sent him a panicked look, looking him up and down quickly. He walked forwards and patted her on the arm reassuringly. "I'm okay." He looked back at Edd. "Enlighten us."

"I was brought up around robots," Edd said. "There's a bunch of us. We live in towns in the territory that the robots have already taken over." He paused, watching his audiences' reactions. "It started a few years ago. They kidnapped a load of humans, made them reproduce. They killed the men as soon as the women were pregnant, and then they killed the men as soon as the babies were born.

We were brought up to design new robots. Robots don't have the creativity to do it, but we do. I've been sent to over 30 different schools and colleges in my time to create robots. Undercover, you see- they don't want you Rangers working out about us so they hide us in different schools to do our jobs, sending down all the equipment we need."

"Why do you agree to it?" Up asked, looking up from where he'd sat on the floor beside one of the counters. "Couldn't you just say no?"

"We could, but a. they'd kill us and b. we don't want to," Edd replied. "I hate humans. Every last one of them. You're all despicable. You all deserve to die."

"You're a human," Cal reminded him.

"And he's not complaining about dying here, is he?" Taz said quietly.

Edd looked at Taz, nodding slightly. "Exactly."

"Jou're disgusting," Taz growled. Edd didn't say anything, the smug little still playing on his lips. "Jou're a fucking disgrace to the human race."

"The human race is a disgrace to itself."

"No. It's not," Taz said, shaking her head, her face red with fury. "I don't know what jou've been taught about the human race, but we're not a disgrace to ourselves. There are only certain people who disgrace us."

"Like every person in this place that bullied me for being ginger?" Edd asked. "And all the ones in the other places? And how about those people that used to bully you for being small? And for you accent too?" Taz stared at him. "Are they disgraces to the human race? Because it seems to me like every person in this room has been like that at one time or another."

"Dat's because we're human. We make mistakes."

"Well I don't see robots making mistakes like that," Edd said. "They're better, more civilised. They don't care what height you are, or what colour hair you have. They're kinder." Taz shook her head, fury piling up in her chest as she listened to him. He was wrong. He was _wrong_.

"Sure, they're strict," he continued. "Because they want to get the job done. And they're merciless to humans, because humans wanted to use them as slaves for their own selfishness." Taz suddenly realised that she was having a harder time breathing. There didn't seem to be enough air going into her lungs, and she was having to breath in deeper and faster. "I'm not surprised that they want to kill you all. If I was a robot I'd want to kill you too."

"Shut up," Taz said suddenly. "Just, shut up!" She leaned against the nearest counter, her breathing ragged and hard. She noticed Edd's was the same. God this gas was fast. "Jou're wrong. Jou have no _idea_…what jou're talking about."

"I think I do-"

"SHUT UP!" Taz gasped. "Oh my god…just shut up!"

"Just because you're scared that I'm right," Edd said. "You're scared that you're fighting for the wrong side, and that it's the robots that you should be fighting for-"

"NO!"

"I can see it in your eyes-"

"NO!" Taz lost her temper, standing upright and walking towards Edd furiously. "SHUT UP! JOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" She took a deep breath, as deep as she could. She fumbled for her gun, holding it up against Edd's face, her eyes glistening with fury. "DEY KILLED MY FAMILY! EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE…OF DEM…AND JOU WANT…TO TELL ME DAT WAS _NICE_?"

"Taz," Up breathed somewhere behind her.

She turned and glared at him. He was leaning against the counter, breathing just as hard as she was. Cal was beside him, rubbing his temple with his eyebrows furrowed. "NO!" she yelled "DIS _CABRON_ NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON!" She turned back to Edd. "Jou think dat was nice? Really?"

"Your family obviously deserved it-"

"Don't jou dare," Taz breathed. "Don't jou even _dare_."

Edd leaned forwards, so his face was almost touching Taz's gun. "They deserved-"

Taz shot him. Right in the centre of the forehead. The lazer beam shot straight through his skull and killed him on the spot. He fell forwards and Taz sidestepped out of the way, letting him fall on the floor face first.

She watched for a second as the blood poured out of his skull onto the floor, her expression repulsed. She felt light-headed, like the whole world was spinning around her and for a second she could have sworn there were three Edd's on the floor in front of her.

"They didn't deserve it, jou did."

* * *

><p>"Taz!"<p>

Taz turned at the sound of her name and found Jake was struggling against his chains, his teeth gritted as he panted for breath. He looked to his left, to where Kaitlin was stood. He was finding it hard to keep his head upright and he was finding it even more difficult to try and pull against his chains. Taz dragged herself over to where he was, nearly falling against the wall.

"Jou said…jou said my name," she said, just as a searing pain flooded over her head and she nearly fell over. She winced and her hand flew to her forehead.

"Kaitlin," Jake murmured, almost incoherently.

"Jou said my name," Taz again, caring more at that moment about how Jake knew her name, rather than what was wrong with Kailtin.

"Taz, yeah," Jake agreed, his head lolling.

Taz fought off her sudden dizziness and stared at Jake. "How…?" Her shortness of breath wouldn't allow her to finish the question.

"Ensign Taz, right?" Jake asked, bringing his heavy head up to look at her. Taz nodded slightly, the dizziness returning as she did so. She lifted her hand to her head again. "I figured it out," Jake announced.

"Well done," Taz replied dumbly.

Jake didn't reply, simply glancing down at Kaitlin.

Taz followed his gaze and saw Kaitlin. Fear filled her chest so quickly and she audibly yelped, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty. What was she doing? Worrying about how Jake had figured out what was going on instead of worrying about her friend _dying_ less than a metre away.

Taz stumbled over, nearly falling over as she went. "UP! CAL!" she choked out. She tripped over her own feet, unable to keep herself steady she grabbed onto Sara's shoulders for support. She looked at the floor, trying to control her breathing.

Up was the first over, his huge body making its way over with no sense of direction. One hand of the wall, he grabbed Taz's shoulder and lifted her up from her drooped position next to Sara.

"You okay?" he asked, his face screwed up with pain.

"Tired," Taz replied. "My head hurts."

"Don't go to sleep," Up told her. "You won't wake up."

"Where's Cal?" Taz asked. As soon as she asked it she knew the answer. Cal was older than them, and there was no way he was ever going to last long. She glanced over to the counter and saw him lay there, his head fallen to the side and his mouth open. Her eyes widened slightly and she tried to walk over.

Up caught her. "Kaitlin!" he cried.

Taz nodded slightly. "We need to get them out of these chains," she said.

"We haven't got the key," Up reminded her, his hand on his head.

"We have to…try." Taz's head lolled on the last word and it swung round, her eyes closing slightly.

"Taz, Taz! Wake up!" Up said, snapping his fingers weakly in her face. "Kaitlin, Sara, Jake, chains!"

Taz nodded and turned herself round to face Kaitlin. "Hi," she mumbled. Kaitlin opened her eyes ever so slightly and stared at Taz. Her eyes were so glazed over that Taz doubted she could even see at all.

"Mmmmmm," Kaitlin replied.

"Jou just stay awake, okay?" Taz said, kneeling down and fumbling slightly with the chains that were wrapped around Kaitlin's hands.

Her entire body felt numb, she could barely see a thing her eyes had suddenly become so blurry. Her head hurt and her ears were ringing loudly. Slowly Taz lifted one of her hands and checked her pulse on her neck. Too fast, way too fast. Her head lolled again but she forced herself to stay awake, blinking viciously and forcing her head upwards to stare at the chains.

Everything just seemed to be mix-matched. Nothing fitted together. She felt like she was looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. Her hands dropped from the chains, and nothing Taz was able to do would make them lift up again. Her head hurt so much, the pain was almost unbearable.

"Taz?" Taz lifted her head and looked at Kaitlin, whose eyes seemed to be slightly more focused, but still half closed. "My head…"

"I know," Taz murmured. "It's okay." She paused, forcing her hand up to hold onto Kaitlin's index finger. "You'll be okay…We'll be okay…I promise…" Taz's body completely gave way; suddenly unable to keep itself upright it flopped out onto the floor.

Taz's hand slipped from Kaitlin's and landed on the floor beside her. Taz was so tired. Her head hurt so much. Taz felt Up kneel down beside her, shaking her shoulders weakly, and she distantly heard his voice but she couldn't work out what he was saying. Then she felt him fall down next to her, his face next to her back. She murmured something that she didn't even understand and everything faded away.

_A/N_: yeah, so…I hope you enjoyed that!

Just one more thing…this is just me checking whether I'm sane or not…Am I the only one that talks to themselves while writing? Like, saying what the characters going to say before you write it down just to make sure that it sounds right and that it's actually something the character would say? Because I think my family are becoming quite worried about me…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH WELL!

ohmygod, I've just read this through...gah!:( I don't leik it! But it's fine...it's probably okay. I always hate the chapters that people think are good...


	10. Robot alert!

**Disclaimer: **I _still_ don't own themmmm. Taz and Up that is, everyone else is MINE. *evil laugh*_  
><em>

_A/N: _I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY. Just thought you should no that I actually typed all that out. No copy and paste. That how SORRY I am. Sorry.

But I did technically have a reason! For not uploading when I actually finished which was like 2 weeks ago…it's Ron's/Wally's birthday today so she gets the last two chapters as a mini present YAY.

_Song of the chapter: _No one does it better- You me at six  
><em>"You are playing the lead, the headache that my actions feed.<br>Oh I've only got myself to blame, here's another test which I would fail, and at my best, oh, always ending the same.  
>If I were an honest guy, I'd give this role another try."<em>

* * *

><p>Taz felt like she was floating. Or flying. One of the two, it didn't really matter which. Everything was dark, and she seemed to be moving through a tunnel. Like a waterslide, but square, and going upwards rather than down. She wondered where she was going to end up, if she was actually going to end up anywhere. For a second she wondered whether she was dead, and whether death was just an endless tunnel of nothing. She didn't mind the idea. It was oddly peaceful in this silent tunnel of squares. Then she began wondering whether she was going to hell, and then she realised that hell was downstairs which meant she could be going to heaven. It seemed a little too dark to be the tunnel to heaven, though.<p>

"Taz?" Was that God? Wait; was God female in those stories she used to be told? She was pretty sure God was male, and the voice was female. "_Taz_?" The tunnel started shaking, and there was a weird sense of pressure on her left shoulder. Taz tried to look behind her, but found that she couldn't move. "Guys, she isn't waking up," the voice said. "Are the others?"

"Nope," another voice replied. Taz recognised the voice from somewhere, but she didn't know where. "He hasn't even moved."

What the voice had said was now finally settling in Taz's brain. She wasn't waking up. Which meant, she _should be_ waking up? Which meant, she must be alive? She was…alive.

"Taz, wake up!" the voice said again, shaking her shoulder again. Taz tried to turn around again and found that she could in fact move slightly. There was a light ahead of her, like a sort of crack in the curtains. Or more likely her eyelids. Taz opened her eyes wider, taking in the view in front of her. She could see brown. _Brown_? "Taz!"

"I'm awake," she said, or tried to anyway. Slowly, Taz's eyes came into focus.

Taz stared up at Lisa for a second, unable to do anything but stare. She felt muddled, like her brain was clouded over and her judgement was faulty. She couldn't even work out whether it really was the same girl in front of her. It didn't look like Lisa. It kind of did, but it didn't. This girl looked mean, with her hair scraped back in a tight bun and her eyes narrowed slightly. Lisa had been so...nice, with gleaming eyes and a big grin. This girl didn't look anything like the girl she recalled in her memory.

"What the hell are jou doing here?" Taz questioned, confused. Her voice sounded strange, husky, quiet. Briefly, she wondered whether Lisa would even be able to understand what she'd said. When she thought about her words, they hadn't exactly sounded coherent.

"Saving your lives, apparently," Lisa responded coolly, and Taz felt mildly relieved. Then she blinked drearily, her eyes drooping. For a second, she thought she might fade into unconsciousness again, but then Lisa's foot connected painfully with her shin and she yelped, her eyes shooting open. "Don't you dare," Lisa said. "I only just woke you up."

"Don't kick me," Taz said, trying and failing to sound threatening. She wasn't exactly in a position where threatening was really an option. She paused "What are jou _doing here_? Why did jou come down here?"

"Because we did." Lisa leaned against the nearest counter casually, making Taz have to strain her neck slightly to catch sight of her.

"Lisa, this is _not_ a time to be messing around," Taz warned. Her voice was slowly coming back to her, but she still emphasised her irritation enough so there was _no_ chance Lisa wouldn't have heard it.

"Is it not?" Lisa asked, a smirk spreading across her lips. She obviously thought Taz was too injured and too tired to be of any danger. Or maybe the girl was just stupid. Whatever the reason for the obnoxious and highly annoying smirk, it took less than 3 seconds for Taz to find herself on her feet. She couldn't really remember making the decision to stand up, and nor could she remember making the decision to start walking towards Lisa in a rather threatening manner. But the decision stood, and in Taz's brain it seemed to be a perfectly suitable one.

"_What the hell are jou doing here_?" Taz growled. "Who _are_ jou? Why are jou _here_? What di-"  
>Taz stopped talking at the sound of a startled scream. She paused in confusion. Somehow she had forgotten that she hadn't been the only person in the room when she passed out. There was others too, who were also hurt. Cal, Jake, Kaitlin, Sara. "-Up." Taz spun round.<p>

* * *

><p>Up was knelt up, his hand on his chest and his eyes fixed on Rowan, who looked like she'd just seen a ghost. She was breathing hard, and staring at Up with slightly panicked eyes. He had obviously woken up and made a grab at Rowan, making her freak out. Up seemed confused- maybe even annoyed? Taz allowed her eyes to pass around the room for a second. Kaitlin, Sara and Jake had been unchained, and laid on the floor. Cal was also on the floor, and Emma was kneeling beside him. None of them were awake.<p>

At the sound of his name- with a slight delay- Up turned to look at Taz. "Taz?"

"…Yeah?"

"What's going on?" Up demanded. He glanced at Rowan. "What the _fuck_ is she doing here?"

Up and Rowan both stared at each for a second, and then Up swallowed nervously and looked away. Rowan looked down at the floor, a slight look of annoyance crossing her face. Taz rolled her eyes, infuriated.

"This _perra_ won't tell me," she commented, gesturing behind her to Lisa.

"Annoying you is too much fun," Lisa protested, like that was a suitable argument.

Taz spun her head to glare at Lisa. "Yeah, well soon it'll be too much fun to stop _punching jou in the face_!"

"Taz, I really don't think that is necessary," Up muttered. "Chill."

"Chill?" Taz asked. "_Chill?_" Up sighed, already knowing his mistake. He should have never said anything. "I just woke up from being near enough_ dead_! And now this _idiota _is refusing to tell me what the _hell _is going on, and _jou _expect me to _chill_?"

"Why do I put myself into these situations?" Up mumbled to himself.

"TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!" was Taz's only reply.

"Okay, you seriously need to calm down," Rowan commented, looking at Taz with concern.

"She _always_ needs to calm down," Up muttered. Taz shot a low side kick to his shoulder and he collapsed onto his side in pain.

"Jeez, I was told you were difficult but…god- okay, look," Lisa said, intervening between Taz and Up and making a grab for Taz's wrist. She flung her arms backwards out of reach and scowled. Lisa sighed. "Ugh, right…" she paused, contemplating. "I don't think we've been introduced properly. Hello, my name is Lisa. I am 20 years old. I work for the FBI. I am currently undercover in this godforsaken university with Emma and Rowan, on the look out for some kid that might be a traitor. I was under the impression that no one else was undercover here. At first I thought one of you two might be a traitor, until I called into my boss and discovered you _actually _are- nice undercover work by the way- and then I planned on helping you. Then you got yourselves in this mess and it seemed like the only option was to come in and save your lives. Not a smooth move, allowing him to kill you."

Somehow, Lisa had managed to say all that in one breath, with very few pauses. She stared at Taz with her back straightened, her eyes looking down from where she towered over the smaller woman's head. She pursed her lips and waited for a reply of some kind.

"Well, that's just crazy," a voice murmured. Jake lifted his head slowly and waited for his eyes to come into focus as he stared blearily at the blurry shapes that he presumed were people. "I've really got myself into a mess this time, haven't I?"

There was a pause. No one seemed to know how to respond to his question. "You okay, man?" Up eventually asked.

"Well apart from almost dying, yeah. I'm just peachy."

"Don't be sarcastic, Jake," Taz said, with an irritated tone to her voice.

Jake scowled in what he presumed was her direction. "You're always sarcastic!"

"Well, I'm not being sarcastic _now_," Taz said coldly.

"Will you two please stop arguing?" Lisa asked, sounding scarily like Taz's mother used to when she was angry. "I'm here on a mission, not to be dealing with two idiots squabbling like three-year-olds." Both Taz and Jake glared at her.

"We should just go," Rowan added. "Can you three walk? We'll carry the other three between us."

Taz considered this for a second, before silently dragging herself to her feet slowly, trying to make sure that she could get up first time without falling flat on her face again. She almost failed, having to quickly fumble behind her for something to grab onto, but luckily the counter just behind her came to the rescue and she quickly got her balance. She looked over and saw Up pulling himself up using the counter with a grimace.

"What about the robot?" Jake asked curiously, not making a move to stand up.

There was a pause, and every other awake person in the room exchanged looks. Taz turned back to Jake. "What robot?"

"The one that Edd was making," Jake replied, like it was obvious. The entire room sighed with relief.

"Oh, thank _dead-god_," Up said. "I thought you meant-"

"Humans. Puny humans."

Every head shot round, and every heart stopped for half a second, as they could nothing but stare. The robot stood facing them, its head tilted to the side slightly. It was clearly unfinished. Its chest was still open and the wires hanging out, yet to be fitted in. It wasn't _normal. _Well, robots weren't normal but it wasn't a _normal _robot. It was life-like. It looked…human. Taz and Up glanced at each other. By the look of confusion and panic in Up's eyes, he hadn't seen any robot like this before either. Neither of them were prepared, and neither of them knew quite what to do.

"We're screwed," Jake said.

"No we're not," Taz snapped immediately, without even thinking about it. "Where's my zapper?"

"On the floor over there," Up replied, leaning his head slightly over to left as a way of gesture. Taz glanced over and sure enough, her zapper was still on the floor beside Edd's dead body.

"Great."

Three seconds, that's all Taz needed. Three seconds and she could be over by her zapper, picking it up ready to shoot the _cabron_. The only problem was she didn't think she had three seconds. She didn't think she even have one.

The robot twitched slightly, a sign that to anyone that hadn't seen a robot before would look nothing but harmless if a little weird. To Taz and Up however, that twitch meant a sure sign that it was armouring up to fight. And nine unarmed and some unconscious humans meant only one thing in a robots emotionally void mind: Target practise.

* * *

><p>"DUCK!" Taz shrieked, grabbing Lisa immediately as she was the closest one to her and dragging her to the floor, Rowan and Up followed, Rowan throwing herself down with such force and a scream so loud that Taz wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't broken a rib or two. The lazer beams passed over their heads harmlessly.<p>

Taz glanced at Up over Jake's splayed out body, giving him a look that spoke 'what are we going to do?' without Taz even having to say the words out loud. Up gestured the use of a zapper, and Taz non-verbally- with a raise of her eyebrow- asked Up where his zapper was. Up gestured to the wall where Caitlin, Sara and Jake had previously been tied.

"What are you two planning?" Lisa questioned, giving both of them a rather hard look. They both glanced her way, returning her look with blank expressions. Lisa sighed, exasperated. "You know, telling me might actually _help_."

"Doubtable," Taz muttered, raising her eyebrows slightly and looking back to Up.

"You guys have already messed up once, I don't want that happening again!" Lisa growled, grabbing Taz's arm as she tried to make a run for it.

"We _did not _mess up! We got rid of Ed didn't we?" Taz said, ripping her arm from Lisa's grip.

"But you didn't sort out the robot did you?"

"We were under the impression that the damn thing wasn't finished," Up explained.

"Well your impression was wrong wasn't it?" Lisa snapped, glaring in Up's direction.

Emma screamed, and the three people broke from their arguing and turned just in time to see her duck back behind the counter as the lazer beams came shooting towards her face. She leaned back against the metal, breathing heavily with wide eyes.  
>There were footsteps then, distinct pounding footsteps that made their way towards the counter slowly but surely, speeding up as they went. The robot was learning fast- if you could even count it as learning.<p>

"I'll distract it while you two get your zappers," Lisa instructed with a firm voice. "Then- then we'll just fight our way out."  
>Before either Taz or Up could protest Lisa was on her feet, whipping a pistol shaped zapper from her belt and shooting at the robot was a wild expression. Her eyes were narrowed and trained solely on her target, following it as it moved towards her slowly.<p>

Emma and Rowan exchanged a look, but Taz never got the chance to see their course of action as she quickly dragged herself to her feet and began to haphazardly make her way across the room in the direction of her zapped. Balance wasn't good- she was still a bit confused and her body was yet to begin working the way it should be. Taz was around a metre from her zapper when her legs gave way and she dropped to the floor like a stone, landing on her shoulder painfully. She winced as she forced her arm from under her body, rolling onto her front and reaching to retrieve her zapper.

She heard another scream, and after a few agonising seconds of confusion and body malfunction (she couldn't for the life of her work out why her legs were so determined on not allowing her to roll her body over) Taz realised that the scream had not been coming from where she had originally anticipated.

"Kaitlin!" Taz cried, shaking her body awake and sliding herself along the smooth floor towards her friend. Kaitlin looked at her, still cowering behind the table, her arms held out protectively in front of Sara and Cal who still lay unconscious behind her. Looking at Cal's body, Taz couldn't help but think how pissed he would be about having missed all the fun.

"What the hell is going on?" Kaitlin demanded.

"You know- oh god, please don't tell me you have short amnesia or something!" Taz cried, grabbing Kaitlin's shoulders.

"I don't have amnesia!" Kaitlin snapped, snatching her arms back from Taz's grasp.

"Right," Taz agreed, sounding relieved.

Kaitlin put her hand to her forehead then. "Dead-god, my head hurts."

"Yeah," Taz said, patting Kaitlin's arm. "Jou just stay here, okay? Don't even _move _from this spot."

"Where are you going?" Kaitlin asked, a frown creasing her eyebrows.

Taz shrugged. "To do my job."

Kaitlin nodded slightly, not seeming too satisfied with Taz's reply. "Right."

"Jou just protect Sara and Cal now, right?"

"What with?" Kaitlin asked.

Taz blinked slowly, pondering the question. Finally, she passed Kaitlin her knife. "Stab it in the head," she explained.

"In the head," Kaitlin repeated.

* * *

><p>Kaitlin barely had time to blink before Taz was off again, stood beside Lisa and shooting at the robot without even a murmur of fear on her face. She didn't look angry, or sad, or happy, or any kind of emotion really. She just stared at the robot in front of her and shot again, and again, and again, with barely a pause in between.<p>

The only pause in her shooting was when she turned and kicked Jake- hard, in the stomach- in the direction of where Kaitlin was kneeling. He came clambering over, clinging to the floor like it was the only thing that was keeping him alive. When he finally reached Kaitlin he collapsed onto his back, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Whoa," he breathed, barely even a word at all.

Kaitlin didn't bother to reply, turning back to the scene and watching Taz again. Her friend's expression had changed, she was exchanging looks every few seconds with Up and she kept glancing at the robot she was shooting in trepidation. Something wasn't right.

"Why isn't it dead yet?" she asked aloud, a frown creasing on her forehead.

"Because they haven't hit it?" Jake responded from where he lay on the floor, still not moving.

"Look, stupid. The thing has holes in it's armour! Why isn't it dead?"

"Maybe it can't be killed like that..."

"What?"

"You heard me."

Kaitlin frowned again. Maybe it can't be killed like that. That idea seemed remarkably obvious, but yet there wasn't something right about it. The robot wasn't immune to the lazers, it wasn't like it was bullet-proof...it just..._didn't die_.

"I mean, it's something Edd would do right?" Jake asked. He swallowed slowly, fighting against the urge to look over to where Edd's body lay. "He was a perfectionist. He wasn't going to make a robot that could be killed by guns."

Kaitlin considered this, realising it was what could only have been the truth. She knew Jake was right. Of course he was right. Jake was Edd's best friend, and so was she, and she knew just as well that this had Edd written all over it.

"But how can it be killed then?" Kaitlin asked, not talking to anyone in particular but herself.

"I don't know, why don't you check the instructions?"

Kaitlin looked at Jake ludicrously. "It's a robot! It doesn't have instructions!"

"Course it does!" Jake cried, staring back. "You don't think Edd was going to be everywhere that his robots were being made do you? He'd have to write down instructions so other people- or robots, whatever- could use them!"

Kaitlin didn't say anything for a second. "You should be a ranger," she finally decided, and Jake's head which had been previously focused on Taz span to stare at her.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No."

"Kait, I could barely make it across this room without nearly having a heart attack!" he protested. "I'm one of the biggest wimps on the planet!"

There was a pause. "Fancy being a bit brave?" She winked.

* * *

><p>Jake blinked slowly and narrowed his eyes, watching his friend with trepidation. He didn't trust what was going through her head. Not one bit. "…what are you planning?"<p>

"I swear you're a psycho," Jake decided as soon as Kaitlin had finished explaining her plan.  
>Kaitlin tilted her head to the side. "Psycho? You're exaggerating a bit don't you think?"<p>

"No," Jake replied. Kaitlin gave him a look. "We might die."

"We might die anyway!" Kaitlin protested. "We're behind a table for Christ's sake, we're not exactly well shielded."

"Maybe you should be the ranger, you're braver than me."

Kaitlin pursed her lips. "Get up." Jake stared at her. "Now." She grabbed Jake's sleeve and attempted to pull him up into sitting position, only managing to pull him halfway as her upper body strength failed her. Jake obliged then and sat up the other half and the way and stared at Kaitlin. "You are brave when you want to be," Kaitlin said, glaring at Jake. "You're just lazy."

"Lazy isn't a suitable excuse for not being brave," Jake commented.

"Exactly," Kaitlin agreed. "So let's go."

She grabbed Jake's wrist then, spinning on her knees and staring at the robot that was still advancing slowly but surely towards the others. They'd finally realised that the robot wasn't really being affected much by the lazers and were now merely shooting in order to the slow the robot down and give them time to think of some plan. Kaitlin put one foot out beyond the table and immediately fell back again with her heart pounding as one of the robot's zapper shots came within an inch of her ankle.

"Jesus," she murmured, her hand pressed to her chest and feeling her racing heartbeat.

Jake glanced at her for half a second, before deciding that if she could brave the zone of 'almost definitely getting shot' even for a second in attempt to help destroy this damn robot, then he was certainly could too. He stood up, dragging Kaitlin with him as he launched himself across the room. Kaitlin let out an almost inaudible squeak from behind him as the lazers fly around her and Jake pulled her closer to his side, ducking to the ground beside on of the many paper filled counters by the side of the pipes.

"Do you know anything about robots?" Jake asked the girl beside him, who was looking strangely calm compared to what he was feeling. His hands were shaking as he held the papers he'd just grabbed from the tabletop, and he could barely even read them.

"Um, no," Kaitlin admitted, taking one of the sheets off him with much steadier hands.

"What does it say?"

"No idea- wait! That's no use. Next paper." Jake passed her another sheet. "Some bullshit about microchips- no." She threw it to the side and held her hand out for another. "Nope...nah...hm, weird. The hairs not really hair. Next...something about explosives, nex-"

"Wait, explosives?" Jake demanded, grabbing the last sheet from Kaitlin's fingers as she tried to throw it away. Kaitlin grabbed another from the table with a huff.

The paper on explosives stated something which Jake read as:

_Blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Blah blah, blah blah blah, blah. Blah. Blah blah_, the features include:  
><em>- Blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah.<br>- Blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah  
>- Blah blah blah, blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah<br>- Blah blah blah. Blah blah blah.  
><em>- A feature within the right arm that is an explosive mechanism, giving the Mega-girl unit the power to teleport away to base if needs be, leaving behind a powerful grenade in its place. This mechanism can only be used once within the robots life of use.  
><em>- Blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Blah blah blah.<br>- Blah, blah blah blah. Blah blah blah.  
>Blah blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah. Blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah.<br>_

"Oh shit," Jake murmured.

"What?" Kaitlin asked, still staring at the sheet her was reading. "Oh, I think I may have actually found some-"

"It's got a grenade."

"Will you please stop interrupting m- _what_?"

"It's. Got. A. Grenade," Jake repeated, ending each word sharply and loudly.

"Okay." Kaitlin frowned. "But doesn't that mean-"

"Read it." Jake shoved the paper in front of Kaitlin's face, just missing giving her a full facial paper cut. She glared at Jake slightly, before snatching the paper from his hands. She scanned over it quickly and Jake watched her face the fascinated and rather triumphant expression turned into one of total horror.

Kaitlin slapped the sheet down onto the floor and ran her hand through her hair, exhaling loudly. "What do we do?"

* * *

><p>Taz was still shooting. The group of shooters were now narrowed down to herself, Rowan and Up as both Lisa and Emma had ran out of reloads and were kneeling beside the counter trying to come up with a suitable plan of action. Personally, Taz blamed Emma, Rowan and Lisa for this mess. They had no idea what they were dealing with and there lack of experience had landed them in this situation. When it comes to robots, you never let your guard down.<p>

But this _damn thing_ just wasn't dying. It was still making it's way towards them and it was getting closer every second, despite all their efforts to slow it down. They hadn't a lot of time left, and when the robot reached them they were pretty much dead, there was nothing else to it, there was nothing else that could be done.

The robot took another step forwards and Taz found herself wincing slightly. How many steps did the robot have left before all hope was lost? How many seconds? How many reloads? She swallowed down the fear that was slowly making its way up her throat. She would not let this get the better of her. She wasn't scared. Fear was for people who ran and hid.

"_Taz!_" Taz failed to hear her name being calling, concentrating only on her gun. She also failed to notice the robot's sudden stop. It wasn't until she noticed that she was the only one shooting when she came to realise. It was just stood. Its hands next to its sides, the red fist from which it fired now silver like the rest of it.

She sent a look to Up, confused. He returned it with an equally confused look. Emma and Lisa cautiously stood up, keeping their eyes fixed on the robot.

"Is it broken?" Emma asked.

"No," Taz snapped. "It would be on the floor if it were broken, _estupido_."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" the other girl questioned coldly. Taz looked away and said nothing. She turned back to look at the robot and watched it. It didn't even move a millimetre.

"_TAZ_!" This time Taz heard the voice, and she turned round to look at Jake with an annoyed, questioning expression on her face. He looked terrible. His face was almost blood red and his eyes were wide and blood shot. He beckoned her over, and she held her arms up questioningly. His lips pursed, his eyes narrowed, and he beckoned again urgently.

Taz paused, considering whether or not she should go over. Eventually she decided since the robot didn't seem to be making any move at all, it was safe. She began walking slowly towards Jake and Kaitlin, and after their continuously increasing urgency she sped up into a jog and knelt down beside them.

"What do jou want?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at them both irritably. She pointed an accusing finger at Kaitlin. "I thought I told you to stay over there?"

"Yeah, but there was important stuff we needed to work out," Kaitlin protested.

"Like what?" Taz asked.

"Like how to kill the robot, stupid."

Taz looked like she was about to make some kind of angry comment in Kaitlin's direction, and Jake decided this was the best time to cut into their argument.

"Guys, stop it!" he cried, giving them both a look. "This is important." He picked the sheet up off the floor and held it out to Taz. She gave him a questioning look and he responded by merely shaking the paper slightly. She took it frowning. "Fifth bullet point," Jake explained.

Taz glanced up from the paper for half a second, before sighing slightly and reading the fifth bullet point.

_An explosive mechanism. Transporting back to base. Leaving behind a powerful grenade in its place._

"Fuck," Taz muttered, unable to stop her mouth from moving.

There was a half a second when she didn't do anything, her mind going blank to all movements as she stared straight ahead of her. But then that half-second was over, and reality came crashing down over Taz's head like a waterfall, nearly forcing her to the ground with its weight. She stood, spinning on her heel with a sudden sense of urgency.

The robot- formally still- was now raising it's left hand slowly towards its right arm, and not even Up's zapper which sent a lazer beam straight through the robots chest had the power to stop it.

_A mechanism within the right arm._

Taz reached her arm back, grabbing whatever she could reach- it turned out to be Jake's hair- dragging her friend forwards and in front of her. Kaitlin swiftly followed and Taz shoved then both forwards- hard, but not hard enough to send them off balance.  
>"DOOR!" she yelled, propelling them both as she ran towards the others. "OUT! OUT!"<p>

Emma was the first to react, running in the direction of the door. She stood, holding it open and yelling to Kaitlin and Jake- who were fixed to the spot in terror- to get them to move. Rowan also broke into a run in the direction of the door.

"Emma, Rowan, get back here!" Lisa yelled, giving her junior officer a warning look.

"Rowan, go! Emma, don't jou dare move!" Taz yelled louder, turning and throwing a furious glare back in Lisa's direction before turning to Up. "SARA. CAL. GO!"

Up didn't question her, running over to where they lay and scooping the pair off the group without even faltering in his run.  
>Taz spun round just in time to see the Megagirl units fist slam into its forearm. A shimmer of red light consumed it whole, and just as the robots body disappeared Taz saw the small, black object fall from it's forearm and vanish down behind the counter.<p>

"SHIT!" Taz screamed. She leapt forwards, somehow making the distance between her and Lisa in less than a second. She grabbed Lisa's wrist, pulling her forwards while making a run for the door.

She saw Up disappear through the doorway and sped up. She pushed every muscle in her body to its very limits as she ran so fast she was practically flying towards the door, twisting her body round, flinging Lisa out of the doorway and letting the momentum drag them both into the hallway just as the grenade went off.

The bang was unbelievable, but Taz barely registering it as she dragged both herself and Lisa away from the growing explosion.  
>The ran on and on, up stairs and along corridors, vaguely aware of the footsteps running a couple of metres in front of them but too focused on the floor and not tripping to actually see who is was running.<p>

* * *

><p>They didn't stop until they were nearly back on the main corridors.<p>

Not wanting to cause a huge fuss just yet- if there hadn't already been one caused by the grenade- they took refuge in yet another old science lab.

"I'm getting sick of these places," Emma muttered wearily, leaning back against a table and breathing hard.

"Yeah," Up agreed, dumping Sara and Cal unceremoniously onto separate counters.  
>It appeared that the movement had woken- well, sort of woken- the two up and Cal groaned loudly, rolling over onto his back and spreading his arms and legs out wide. Sara rolled herself straight off the counter and came up yelling in pain.<p>

"Up, we need to call base," Taz said, closing the door with a crash. Sara let out a tiny wail from the floor and Taz rolled her eyes.

"Okay, who's got the-"

"I've called them," Lisa interrupted from where she was leaning against the wall behind Taz.

"No, I mean our base."

"Yeah. I've called them," Lisa repeated, a little exasperated and rolling her eyes.

"Jou know I've just save jour life. Jou could be a little nicer," Taz muttered.

"You weren't." Lisa smirked at Taz's glare and Taz pursed her lips and walked over to check on Sara.

"So wait," Up said, walking over to Lisa. "You've called _our _base?"

"Well, I called mine, and they said they'd call yours," Lisa explained. "There are two helicopters coming. One for us, one for you."

Up nodded, and then leaned against the wall beside Lisa. "How badly do you reckon we're going to get punished for this?" he asked.

Lisa chuckled. "You didn't fail…that badly."

"We let the robot go," Up said.

"But you got rid of Edd," Lisa reminded him. "And it's not like they're going to be able to sort out that robot, or make any others. They haven't got Edd's instructions because they were blown up."

"I guess…"

"See, you didn't fail that badly. And they don't think you failed either. In fact they sounded happier than I've ever heard them." Lisa hit Up's arm lightly with the back of her hand, smiling, and walked off towards Rowan and Emma. Up shook his head and watched her walk away, his gaze finally landing on Taz. She was sat on the edge of the one of the counters. Jake was leaning against the same counter, and Sara and Kaitlin were stood about a metre away talking and pretending not to eavesdrop.

"I'm sorry," Jake said, looking down at the floor awkwardly.

Taz turned her head slightly and raised an eyebrow at Jake. "What for?" she asked.

"For being a dick to you in lesson," he replied, smiling slightly with one side of his mouth.

"Why are jou sorry?" Taz asked. "Jou gave jour opinion. I don't ca-"

"But my opinion was wrong," Jake interrupted. "…I was wrong."

"People are wrong sometimes," Taz replied. She bumped Jake on the shoulder. "No big deal."

"Will you _stop _being so nice?"

Taz frowned. "Jou'd prefer me to be nasty?" she questioned.

"If it means you'll this 'it doesn't matter' shit," Jake agreed. "What I said about you was horrible. You're my friend. I'm not meant to say horrible things to my friends. And I'm sorry. Now dead god damn it_ accept my apology._"

"Okay. I accept you apology…?" Taz looked highly confused. Her eyebrows were furrowed, while one was raised slightly in a question.

Jake gave a little smile. "Thanks."

Taz nodded slightly, then returned her gaze to the floor. She wanted to go over to Up, but there was something stopping her. The way Jake was breathing in and out, the way his mouth would open and close every now and again. Taz had a feeling he hadn't finished yet; he still had something else he wanted to say. So she just stared at the floor, trying to ignore how awkward the silence had made the whole situation.

"You're going to leave aren't you?"

"Well, not right now," Taz replied, feeling the conversation was about to get a whole lot worse. She didn't want to discuss the inevitability of her leaving. She didn't want to hurt Jake, and she didn't want to make him mad at her when there was so little time left.

"But when your ship comes," Jake said. "It's going to leave. And you're going to leave with it." It wasn't a question. It was fact. Of course it was a fact, and it was a fact Jake had probably known for a while now. Taz murmured incoherently in protest. Jake pursed his lips. "You're going to leave."

"Yes, I'm going to leave," Taz snapped, her irritation coming through in her voice.

"Because all this was only ever a job to you," Jake stated, looking at the floor with a very pitiful expression on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taz questioned, her face pulled into a scowl. She couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for Jake since he was the one asking for this conversation.

Jake swallowed. "Did it never occur to you to tell me?"

"I was on a mission," Taz responded.

"So that's a no, then."

"No, it didn't occur to me. I was happy letting jou think I was Luz."

"So not even when we were drunk, the thought didn't even pass through your head?" Jake questioned.

"No," Taz agreed. "It didn't."

"Why?"

"I'm good at my job," Taz replied coolly.

"So it was only a job," Jake said, sighing loudly and pulling his mouth into a sad smile.

"What- I didn't- ugh." Taz growled slightly. "This was a job, yes. But jou are my friend, and this being a job doesn't change dat."

Jake laughed dryly. "And neither does lying about who you are, I'm guessing?"

"I lied about my name," Taz said.

"And you're background."

"Yeah, I guess. My background."

"And your job, and your friends, and Cal, and-"

"Yeah, okay, _we get it_!" Taz cried. She looked at the floor for a second; trying to calm herself down before she did something stupid and lost her temper. "Look, I'm going to talk to Up. I'll talk to jou later."

"Will you though?" Jake asked, as Taz was walking away.

Taz turned her head, a look of exasperation on her face. "_What_?"

"Will you talk to me later?"

"_Yes_!"

"You won't just leave before you get the chance?"

Taz was about to snap at him again, but the look in his eyes stopped her. He looked like a little puppy, his eyes big and his forehead creased with worry and confusion. She felt her heart soften. She still didn't want to hurt him, no matter how annoying he was. He was upset, and confused, and he was having a hard time getting his head round what was happening. She couldn't blame him.

"I promise," she agreed, giving him a little smile. "I won't leave until I've spoken to jou again." Jake nodded. Taz turned and began to walk away again. "Up! _Up_!"

_A/N: _lol, sorry this is a bit rubbish:') Hope you liked it anyway.


	11. Goodbye

**Disclaimer: **OMG THIS IS GONNA BE THE LAST TIME I SAY I DON'T OWN TAZ AND UP UNTIL I UPLOAD THE SEQUEL. D: I'M GONNA MISS YOU, STRANGE, ANNOYING DISCLAIMER!

_A/N: _BOOM. Last chapter!

Song of the chapter: Everything I knew- Busted  
><em>"<em>_Everything I knew just went out the window, know I can't depend on you – forever.  
>And I never thought I'd see my life walk away from me. I thought we'd always be – together.<br>Notice you didn't have to pay for every word I say. And I wish I could change your decision.  
>And you know that I try and tell you what it's like. But you just wouldn't listen.<br>Lets go back lets rewind to the days that remind me of all the good times that we spent together  
>And I don't know why we just let it all slide when we both knew inside we were right for each other<br>I don't know what to do. Cos your everything that I knew."_

* * *

><p>It felt like hours before they left that room, but in truth it was around 15 minutes. 15 minutes of torture but still, only 15 minutes. That was when the principal came stalking down the corridor, flanked by the librarian, Mrs Veale. The principal looked like he was about to have a stroke and Mrs Veale had a death look on her face that could have killed a small animal.<p>

Up had shouted, and when no reply had come had resorted to charging out of the lab door and chasing the pair down the corridor at full speed.

"Matthew!" the Principal cried, making a grab for Up's arm. "Uh- I mean, Up."

"Up?" Mrs Veale questioned.

"Are you okay? We heard an…explosion of some sort…" the principal said, completely ignoring Mrs Veale. "Did you…"

Up was fairly certain what the question was meant to be. He nodded. The principal raised a questioning eyebrow. "Dead," Up said.

"What, _who's dead_?" Mrs Veale demanded, looking like she might have a heart failure at any second.

"So there was a really a…" Up nodded again. "Is that destroyed, or…"

"It got away," Up admitted. "But it's damaged, and there's little chance they'll be able to remake them."

The principal nodded solemnly, looking part way in between relieved and terrified.

"What the _hell_ are you two going on about?" Mrs Veale demanded, her lips pursed. "I do not like being ignored, and I do not like this secretive conversation that the two of you are having. Would you mind enlightening me?" There was a pause, and she looked at the two men expectantly. After a few seconds of silence, she continued. "Who's died?" she asked. "I swear to god if it's Ja…someone I know…I'm seriously going to be having words with you." She was looking at Up, but after she'd said it her eyes flicked to the principal. "_Both_ of you."

"Jake's fine," Up said quickly, though confused, and Mrs Veale turned to look at him immediately, her eyes wide. Up nodded towards the lab door. "He's in there."

Mrs Veale looked traumatised for a second, looking and forth from Up to the Principal, before she hurriedly thanked him and disappeared off into the lab, not even waiting for the rest of her questions to be answered.

The principal shook his head slightly, a little smile on his face. "Family friend," he explained. "Closest thing she has to a son." Up nodded. "So, I'm presuming you've called your base?"

Up nodded. "They're on their way."

* * *

><p>Andi, Tony and Sam stood in the crowd in the courtyard just inside the school gates. It was cold. It was raining. And they didn't have a clue where their friends were.<p>

"Can you see them yet?" Andi called to the smaller male, who was currently sat on Tony's shoulders, acting as look out.

"No," Sam replied, frowning. "I can't see any of them." He squinted and threw his arm in exasperation, nearly slapping himself in the face. "God damn it, I can't even see Matt and his big ass head!"

"Where the hell are they?" Tony asked from below him, his voice bordering on panic. He had his arms folded, his dreadlocks falling in front of his face, hiding his expression.

"Tony, chill. We'll find them," Andi said, trying to reassure his friend and failing to do so. He didn't exactly sound reassuring. His voice was almost as panicked as Tony's, he was picking at his nails, and his face was screwed up in a constant look of worry.

"Tony, would you mind putting me down?" Sam asked. "I feel like I'm going to be sick." It wasn't a lie. He did feel sick. His stomach was twisting and tying itself in knots like there were a million butterflies soaring around his insides. But really, Sam just couldn't bear having to look for his friends over and over again, each time feeling the hope inside him sink lower.

Tony lowered Sam to the ground before standing up on his tiptoes to have a look around himself.

"We should go look for them," Andi announced.

Sam shot him a weird look. "You're kidding, right?"

"No," Andi replied. "What if they're in trouble?"

"Then we're going to end up in trouble!"

"Or we might just…you know…save them from trouble."

"It doesn't work like that," Sam said. "If we're caught we'll get expelled."

"And if we don't go they might die."

"They might already be dead!"

"Uh…guys?"

"They're not dead!" Andi protested. "But they might be if we don't go and _help_ them!"

"You don't even know they need help!" Sam reminded him.

"Well, why else aren't they here?"

"Because they're _somewhere else_!"

"Guys!"

"Bullshit!" Andi cried. "Utter load of bullshit."

"Well, I'm sorry but I'm not goin-"

"GUYS!" Tony yelled, turning and gripping Sam's arm.

"_Dude_! What do you want?" Sam demanded, staring Tony down with an irritated expression.

Tony scowled. "_Why are they here_?" Tony turned his head and Sam and Andi both followed his gaze up into the sky.

"Are they helicopters?" Sam questioned. He paused, his eyebrows furrowing. "They _are_! They _are _helicopters!"

"Why are there helicopters here?" Andi asked. He squinted his eyes, trying to get a better look. "And more importantly: why is one an FBI helicopter and the other one a Galactic League helicopter?"

"What?" Sam demanded, standing on his tiptoes to get a better look. He concentrated, and sure enough, as the helicopters got closer he could make out the FBI and Galactic League logos plastered onto the sides of the helicopters.

The helicopters got lower and lower and people were beginning to understand what was happening. The teachers began frantically making way, shoving everyone around the outer edges of the courtyard so that no one would get splattered against the floor by the helicopters as they landed. Andi could see some of the teachers were whispering angrily to one another, obviously planning to make some sort of scene when the helicopters landed, probably yelling at the passengers and the drivers.

* * *

><p>That never ended up happening though, as when the helicopters did land, before the teachers could even reach the vehicle a dozen Starship Rangers jumped out from the helicopter, followed by the Galactic League Ambassador. From the other one appeared an FBI official, flanked by four men with heavy looking zappers and masks.<p>

The teachers held back for their own good, as the officials and the G.L.E.E Ambassador approached one another and began talking- or rather shouting- to each other over the noise of the helicopter. But despite the fact they were shouting, no one else was able to hear any of the conversation due to the whirring of the propeller and the gusting wind, which it was causing.

"Excuse me!" one of the teachers eventually called. A maths teacher, Andi recalled. Mr Brookes. Both of the men ignored him. "_Excuse me_!" Mr Brookes repeated, and this time the two men turned to look at the maths teacher with puzzled expressions.

There was a pause as the helicopter finally began to quiet down. All the men waited.

"Yes?" the Ambassador finally asked. "Is there a problem?"

"Well, yes as a matter of fact," Mr Brookes exclaimed, folding his arms in a pompous manner that made Andi want to smack his head against a brick wall. The man was talking to the _Ambassador of the G.L.E.E _and he had the nerve to look pompous? "What do you think you're doing, landing here? This is private property!"

"Who on _earth _do you think _you're talking to_?" the FBI official asked, his rather podgy face boiling red with rage. "I am an _FBI official_, how dare yo-"

"_Gerald, please_," the Ambassador cried, though Andi thought the official was well within his rights to continue. "Keep your patience." He looked back at Mr Brookes. "Private property, you say?...I see," the Ambassador said slowly. "It seems your boss has been hiding things from you."

"Pardon?" Mr Brookes said, looking suddenly rather flustered. "No, no. Mr Willis, he wouldn't-"

"Mr Brookes, what are you blabbering about?"

Every head turned towards Mr Willis, who was walking calmly towards the Ambassador and the FBI official. He smiled his greeting.

"Well, principal. These _men_ have decided to land the _helicopters _on school grounds, and I was just informing them that they are on private property and must leave," Mr Brookes said, looking rather pleased with himself. He folded his arms.

"That man needs his head dunking in acid," Sam muttered to Andi from beside him and Andi held back his laughter.

"Mr Brookes, though I am grateful for your help…_shut up_?" Mr Brookes face fell and his jaw started wobbling. "Would you get matron for me, please? There is a young girl who may be in need of her assistance soon." The principal offered Mr Brookes a little smile, and the maths teacher shuffled away into the crowd again.

The Ambassador sighed in relief. "Well, now that's over and done with," he said, smiling. "Where are my rangers?"

"They're on their way," the principal confirmed.

"And my agents?" the official questioned.

"Yes, they're coming too."

"What are they going on about?" Tony asked, ducking down to Andi and Sam's level. "Agents and rangers? _What_?"

"I don't know," Andi admitted, trying to listen again for any more of the conversation he could. The adults had lowered their voices now, though, and even catching snippets of their conversation became impossible.

"Oh my god," Tony said, the tone of his voice one of awe. Andi turned his head to look at him at the same time as around half the people in the crowd gasped and began muttering to each other.

"What?" he asked, trying to look over the sea of people to whatever people were gasping at. "What is it?"

"Well, they're alive," Tony said, by means of explanation.

Andi punched him in the arm. "What is that meant to mean?" he demanded.

"Sara looks kind of dead though…"

"_What_?" Andi cried, his eyes widening dramatically. "_Sara's dead_?" Tony gave his friend a weird look. "_Tony_! If you don't tell me what's going on in under 30 seconds you are _seriously going to regret it_!" Sam and a few other people around Tony murmured in agreement.

Tony gave an exasperated look, wondering briefly whether he'd have been better off finding _taller _friends. "Fine." He took a deep breath it. "Matt! _JAKE_! _KAITLIN_! KAIT! _LUZ_!"

"What are you doing?"

"JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE," Tony bellowed, his entire body shaking at the effort of shouting so loud. He let out a shaky breath then, breathing in deeply about to yell again. But then he stopped, a grin appearing on his face and his hand flew into the air in signal.

* * *

><p>Jake heard his name being yelled from somewhere in the crowd and he turned towards the voice that he recognised so well. He grinned when he saw his friend, his head sticking out from the crowd just a little bit, just enough so that he could be seen.<p>

"_Tony_!" he yelled in response and made a b-line for the crowd, waving his arms in an attempt to get them to move out of the way. They obliged and soon Tony, Sam and Andi were making their way towards him through the crowd of people. Tony was grinning, while Andi and Sam's faces were both scrunched up in anger.

"Where the _fuck_ have you been?" Andi demanded, punching Jake hard- in the face.

Jake's hand shot up to his cheek and he moved his jaw around painfully. Those P.E lessons with Cal had _really _helped Andi with his arm strength. "Ow," he muttered. "Remind me to never piss you off…"

"Seriously, dude!" Sam yelled. "We thought you were _dead._"

"I was," Jake said, grinning pleasantly. "Kind of, anyway."

"_What the hell does that mean_?" Sam demanded. His eyes were wide and cartoon like.

"It means," Kaitlin said, coming up behind Jake. "That he was an _awesome_ friend who nearly died to help me and Sara."

"And also the _other way around_," Jake added, nudging Kaitlin in the shoulder until she giggled.

Both Andi and Sam stared unblinking at their friends, a pissed off expression on their faces. Tony, however, looked completely happy with this explanation.

"You are _not _helping," Andi growled at Kaitlin, and was shot a glare in return.

"Look, guys, if they don't want to answer then that's cool," Tony said.

"_No it's not_!" Andi and Sam yelled in unison.

"We'll explain later," Kaitlin said with a sigh. "But now, you've got to look over there." She nodded in a backwards direction, towards where the Ambassador and the FBI official were standing with their principal.

* * *

><p>Taz walked over to the Ambassador with a sullen look on her face. Despite what Lisa had told her about the Galactic League being pleased with their success on the mission, Taz wasn't really sure that she agreed. She was still convinced she was going to get punished- big time.<p>

Even the Ambassador's smile when she finally did look at him didn't convince her, he was probably just being nice in front of the principal.

"Well done, you three," the Ambassador said as Taz, Up and Cal approached him.

"We failed," Cal said coldly.

"No you didn't," the Ambassador replied. "You found out important information, you got rid of the traitor and you disposed of the robot."

"But we didn't," Up reminded him. "It escaped."

"With no way of being rebuilt, or any more being built," the Ambassador said. "You did well." He gave another one-sided smile. Taz opened her mouth to say something. "Taz, if you argue with me I'm going to personally strangle you because there are lots of people here and I don't want to look like I have no control over my Rangers," he said without even looking at her and Taz let out a tiny chuckle.

"Sure, Ambassador," she joked. "Jou have _complete _control."

The Ambassador half smiled and half glared. "However, there is one thing that still needs to be found out," he said.

"What's that?" Up asked.

"How to destroy the robot." Taz and Up both glanced at each other. "You never know we might face it again, and we have no way of knowing how to stop it." He paused. "But never mind, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough-"

"_Taz_! _Up_!" Taz and Up turned round to face Kaitlin as she ran full pace towards them. She was going at such a speed that when she reached them she nearly toppled onto her face and Up had to catch her quickly before she fell.

"What's up?" Taz asked, holding onto her in case she fell over again. She glanced at the Ambassador, then immediately glanced away again with an expression that resembled someone that was about to faint.

Kaitlin swallowed, slightly out of breath and reached a hand into her pocket. "There," she mumbled, holding out a piece of paper for Taz to take. Taz raised an eyebrow. "Take it," Kaitlin ordered, shaking it slightly.

Taz frowned slightly, holding her hand out for the paper. "What is it?" she asked as she began to unfold the piece of paper. It was slightly ripped, and it had been folded up quickly and messily and Taz had a hard time unfolding it again.

"Just read it," Kaitlin instructed. Taz glanced at her and began to read.

Within three seconds she was smirking widely. "'To disable the Mega-girl unit,'" she read aloud, turning to the Ambassador for a second, "'an enemy must dangle it and slowly lower the unit in boiling hot lava.'- Oh Kaitlin, jou're freaking awesome!" Taz smiled at her friend, still holding the piece of paper. Kaitlin stood silently for a second, before throwing her arms around Taz's neck and hugging her tightly. Taz yelped in surprise, her arms flailing. "Uh, okay," she muttered, chuckling slightly and hugging the girl back.

When Kaitlin pulled away Taz was surprised to find the girl had tears in her eyes. Taz frowned at her. "Sorry," she mumbled, wiping her eyes. She laughed slightly. "I'm just going to go." She smiled at Taz one last time and turned to look at Up.

She didn't have to throw her arms around Up, he held his arms out to her and she walked straight into them. Up hugged her smiling, and when she let go, she even got give a little nod from Cal. She grinned in return and gave Taz one last tearful smile before beginning to turn.

"Say bye to Sara for us," Up called. Kaitlin nodded and waved slightly, walking off in the direction of the school entrance where Matron was stood tending to Sara.

Taz and Up turned and handed the Ambassador the piece of paper.

"You seem to have made quite an impression on her," he commented, and both rangers looked down at the floor, a sudden sense of sorrow flooding over them both. "You ready to leave?"

"Give me a second," Taz said, turning on her heel again and walking back down the way she had come.

She walked towards the four boys that were stood slightly out of the crowd, watching her as she approached. She felt a presence beside her as she walked and she turned to look at Up with a frown.

"What? Do I not get to say goodbye too?" he asked.

* * *

><p>Jake was literally freezing up as Taz and Up walked towards him. He wanted to say goodbye, of course, but he didn't know if he'd be able to manage it with the rest of the school watching. It would have been bad enough alone.<p>

"You're rangers?" was the first thing Sam asked when the pair reached them. His face was emotionless, in a state of denial. He wasn't even blinking, and his mouth was open slightly.

"Yup," Up agreed, smiling awkwardly.

"Taz and Up?" Andi asked.

"Correct again."

Andi, Sam and Tony all stared blankly. Then Andi solemnly said without a single hint of joking in his voice, "I had a crush on Ensign Taz. I need a second to get my head around this."

"Ensign Taz came to my _birthday party_," Tony objected.

"Dude," Sam muttered, still not blinking. "I asked her to have a threesome with me and Jake, I think mine's better."

"Guys. I win. I _kissed_ Ensign Taz," Jake reminded them, holding his hands up.

"Do jou three have to make _everything _a contest?" Taz questioned.

"Yes," the all replied at once.

"Personally, I think I win," Up said. "'Cause I'm best friends with her."

Andi, Sam, Tony and Jake all stared at him for a second, and their faces all broke into huge grins.

"Come here, dude," Andi said, holding his arms out. "I need a man hug."

Up was happy to oblige, grinning and hugging Andi, Sam and Tony in turn. Then he reached Jake and gave him a huge one-sided grin. Jake looked at him suspiciously and Up held his hand out with a grin. "May I have this dance?" he asked, and Jake burst into laughter. Up grinned and pulled Jake into a hug as they both laughed into each other's shoulders.

"See you round, man," Jake said, patting Up's arm.

Up nodded. "See you round." He glanced at Taz. "In a minute?" Taz nodded and he walked off, leaving Taz with the four guys.

* * *

><p>Jake watched Taz as she spoke to and hugged his friends. It took a couple of minutes to convince the other three that she wasn't going to hit them before they eventually came to their senses and gave her a goodbye hug. She looked sad about having to leave. Her eyes were softer than Jake had ever seen them, and the small smile on her lips seemed to stay there for a lot longer than it usually would.<p>

When Taz finally turned to him, it felt like Jake's heart might just stop in his chest at the sight of her. He felt suddenly sick, like his stomach was twisting itself into knots just to be spiteful. He tensed his stomach, deciding this was really not a good to puke everywhere. He tried a smile, but he was pretty sure it wasn't at all convincing. He probably looked like some kind of creepy monster, but Taz smiled in return anyway.

"Jou okay?" she asked.

"No." Taz frowned. "You're making me sick." Taz gave him a weird look and Jake realised what he'd just said. "N-no, I didn't mean-I…I don't want you to go."

Taz's eyes softened and she gave Jake a tiny smile. "Sorry."

"You don't want to go either do you?" Jake asked, and Taz's smile fell off her face and her eyes trained back to the floor. "_Do you_?" Jake repeated. He knew she didn't, but he just wanted to hear it from her own mouth.

"No," she said. "I don't."

"Then why don't you just stay?" Jake asked. It was never going to happen, and he knew it. But he still needed to ask anyway. It was silly, because when that last strand of hope faded he didn't know what he was going to cope.

"Jou know that's not going to work," Taz replied, looking at the floor again.

"Why?"

"Because I'm a Starship Ranger."

It wasn't a complicated response. It wasn't one that even seemed reasonable in the situation. She could always quit, couldn't she? But Jake knew what she was saying. She was a Starship Ranger, and that's all she was going to be, because that's all she wanted to be.

Jake looked at the floor. "Yeah," he agreed.

"I'm sorry," Taz said again, chewing her lip for a second and looking nervous.

"You're going to say goodbye now aren't you?" Jake asked before she could even open her mouth again. She nodded slightly. "Let me go first before I puke: goodbye, Taz. I want to say more, but you'll just yell at me for being soppy or something. Just…goodbye."

Taz nodded again, a sad smile on her face. "Bye, Jake," she said softly, so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Neither of them moved. They'd both said their goodbyes, but there was so much that Jake still wanted to say, and so much Taz felt she should but couldn't work out how. Neither could let go, so they just stood.

Finally, Taz was the one to move. She inhaled deeply for a second, blinked and turned. She walked away without so much as a glance back, regretting every step she took but understanding that there was no way she could turn back now.

* * *

><p>The walk from where Jake was stood back to the helicopters seemed to take years, each step taking up days at a time. Taz could almost literally feel her body growing older as she walked, her arms and legs feeling heavier and heavier. She didn't feel anything. She felt numb.<p>

Taz thanked Lisa for saving her, and after a few seconds of shock was thanked in return. Under some persuasion from Up she gave the three girls a hug, smirking at Rowan's promise to not get Up drunk again. She walked back towards the helicopter, and she was still not feeling herself. She felt like it wasn't really her that was moving, that she had no control over her own body and it was just doing everything on it's own accord. Everything seemed quiet, quieter than it should be.

Taz was about to climb onto the helicopter when Up grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She turned to look at him and he nodded backwards.

Jake stood still, his arms at his sides and his gaze fixed on Taz. His forehead was screwed up, making his whole face appear hopelessly confused and upset. He shook his head slightly, running his hand through his hair and looking at the floor. He felt Taz's presence as she appeared in front of him and he tried to fight back all the despair that was pressing up against his chest.

"I need to go," Taz told him.

"Don't leave me." It came out before Jake could control it. His mouth just took control on it's own accord, embarrassing him beyond measure.

He glanced up, and Taz was watching him carefully. "I have to," she said. She said it so sadly it could almost have been an apology.

"Taz," he said. He wanted to say it again. It was new on his tongue. It wasn't right, but it was. Taz was Luz, and Luz was Taz, and it was different but the same. She furrowed her eyebrows. "You're my best friend."

"I've only known jou for a couple of months," Taz reminded him.

"Doesn't matter."

"I punched jou in the face."

"Doesn't matter."

Taz didn't say anything else, simply wrapping her arms around Jake's neck before he had a single second to protest. He buried his face in her hair, not wanting the hug to end. When he let go, when she let go, she'd be gone. Forever. Letting her go was impossible, but necessary. Jake pulled back, kissing the top of her head as he did so. He looked down at her, reading the look in her eyes. Regret.

He gave her a smile, the biggest he could manage. "Goodbye," he said simply, refusing to blink for fear she might disappear.

"Goodbye," Taz echoed, before turning slowly and jogging back to the helicopter.

It wasn't till she climbed on board that she looked back, and she grinned. It was the only time Jake had ever seen her grin when she was sober, and it nearly blew him over. He grinned back, holding up his hand in a wave as she disappeared from view.

* * *

><p>The helicopter ride back to base was silent apart from the sounds of the propellers. No one could think of anything to say and no one really thought they wanted to say anything. When the helicopter landed the other rangers disappeared within a few seconds, but then it was a great deal of time before anyone even made a move from their seats. The Ambassador was the first to leave, closely followed by Cal who was muttering loudly about the 'damn tension.'<p>

Taz and Up just sat there next to each other in silence for a while. Eventually Taz decided she was going to have to move at some point and unstrapped herself, standing up to leave the helicopter.

"So you were his best friend?" Up asked, staring up at Taz without blinking.

Taz turned and looked down at him, her eyes sad. "Apparently," she replied. "Why?"

Up shook his head slightly looking away and focusing on undoing his scraps. "Nothing," he murmured. "No reason."

Taz watched him curiously, her head tilted to the side. Then suddenly she let out a little giggle.

"What?" Up asked, his head shooting up and his eyes fixing on hers. "What are you laughing at?"

"Jou're jealous," Taz said. "Jou're jealous dat I'm Jake's best friend!"

"No I'm not!" Up cried defensively, glaring slightly. After a few seconds he gave up and sighed, his arms flopping down by his sides as he realised he'd been found out. He looked down.

Taz smiled slightly and walked over to where he was sat. "Oi," she murmured, and Up looked up at her, merely a couple centimetres away from his face. "Don't worry," she said, smiling. "Jou're still _my _best friend."

She kissed him then, a lingering kiss on the lips for just longer than a second. She pulled away and smiled at him, before walking away, leaving Up with a dazed expression on his face, feeling like his brain had just exploding into three millions little pieces.

* * *

><p><em>AN: _***IMPORTANT INFORMATION!*  
><strong>Okay, so this has taken me agesssss, and I deeply apologise for that. I've had a lot of exams, and I've just left high school and I've got my prom tomorrow and life's just been a freak out for the last however many months. But I have _not _be totally unproductive. First, I have planned out the sequel. I HAVE ACTUAL PLANNED OUT WHAT I'M GOING TO WRITE FOR ONCE :O THIS IS NEW TO ME. (I plan like two pages ahead and then I never end up doing what I plan so I just stop planning..) Second, I written some Young Justice Oneshots for my very dear friend who's birthday it is:D But obviously you don't have to read them…unless you like YJ and ship DickxWally in which case, feel free! BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY, is that the sequel WILL be coming soon. I just need to put my plan on paper which won't take long…It might be a series of oneshots rather than an actual full on story but I really don't care:') **K, thanks. Hope you enjoyed this, reviewwww?:3**

****p.s. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW SHANN? It's not very big for a kiss but I don't care I couldn't find any other way of fitting one in and it freaking adorable anyway soooo...:D (and I didn't make Jaz kiss! Cause I'm a good girl:D)


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